


Celestial Reign: Tears of the Sun

by StarvingLunatic



Series: Celestial Reign [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Consensual Underage Sex, Drama, Epic, F/F, Fantasy, Feels, Freedom, Friendship, Hatred, Heroine's Journey, Leadership, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Character of Color, Lesbian Sex, Magic, Magical Tattoos, Mercenaries, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Novel, Original Character(s), Original Mythology, Original Universe, Romance, Royalty, Running Away, Sexual Content, Slavery, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Strained Friendships, Team as Family, Wordcount: Over 150.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 34
Words: 172,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarvingLunatic/pseuds/StarvingLunatic
Summary: Follow the lives of two girls, one a princess and the other her birthday gift, as they build a bond between each other while trying to make it through life in a society where females and others are looked down on. Femslash. f/f.Originally Published: 05-04-10 and Completed: 12-17-10
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: Celestial Reign [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144517
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Prologue: The Myth of Creation

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Welcome to another original story by this lunatic. The story is mine and the characters are mine. Please do not use them without my permission.
> 
> General warning: This story will eventually involve a sexual relationship between two women. If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that.
> 
> Special thanks to my betas, Ken-zero and Faioxromokitoma, who made this story the best it could be. Many thanks to you guys. You are the best.
> 
> Hi, everyone. This is a story I actually wrote a couple of years ago. I hope you guys enjoy a little trip into this fantasy world I had a delight in creating. Please, enjoy.

Celestial Reign: Tears of the Sun

Prologue: The Myth of Creation

There was always the belief that gods were everywhere, but the most powerful gods were the ones always totally out of reach: the stars. Every star in the night sky, no matter how bright or dull, was a god with powers that were unimaginable and always untouchable for mere mortals. After all, those gods in the sky had created the world and everything that inhabited the globe was there because of the gods whims.

The world itself was born from the thoughts of the Dragon siblings Setsu and Koatal. Setsu, the emerald green, horned goddess, whose scales shined so brilliantly that she was one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Her mane, like spun silver, was envied by many gods, who did try to mimic her beautiful hair, but always fell short. Her eyes were pure white and seemed to be able to see into the depths of any immortal, so later on after the Creation, seeing into a mortal proved almost too simple a task for her.

Setsu was to become protector of travelers, guiding them by always showing which way was north. She would also become the benevolent, kindhearted goddess of true love, seeking to make creatures of all kinds as happy as possible if she was given the chance. Her nature was pure and true even before mortals came into existence, but they would benefit the most from her temperament. It was her idea to create the world in the first place. She was bored and the notion seemed to spring to her mind out of the blue.

Her older brother, the feathered serpent, Koatal, went along with the concept as that was his nature. He was as a cool as his sapphire and white feathers and as warm as his deep brown eyes. The very embodiment of nonchalance was Koatal and he indulged his sister whenever some fanciful idea struck her. Besides, it was something to do at the moment aside for sleep, which was how he generally passed time in the Heavens. He could rid himself of goddesses complaining about how lazy he was by helping his sister, if only for a little while anyway.

So, the Dragon twins created the World; and, yes, it was quite that simple for them. The World started out as little more than a barren rock in blackness, which would not do as far as Setsu was concerned. There had to be more to it, lest it not stand out from the other toys and trinkets made by bored gods. The dull stone was crafted into a perfect sphere and became a canvas for the siblings. The globe was colored mostly after the pair. There were greens, blues, and browns of all shades and pure whites dotted where the color fit. Silver was mixed into some of the whites, making them shine and announce their flawless existence.

The Dragons were never forgetful of their friends and they sprinkled colors of other gods in the Creation. They dripped grays onto the green, reds into the browns, yellows and oranges, adding light to the world. The more that they started to mix and match colors, the more Setsu seemed to like it until the world resembled a painting in her opinion, which brought a smile to her face. By the time they were finished, they thought that the World was even more dazzling than the dark heavens that they inhabited and the World hung in. They looked upon the World when they were done and the scaled Dragon goddess could not help thinking that there was something missing.

Setsu realized that there was very little movement on their creation. There was just the water flowing and even that was going too slow for her liking. None of the greens or other colors moved; everything was still, just like a painting. Of course, the laidback Kaotal did not see the problem, but loaned himself out to once more in order to liven the place up. He did hope that he would be able to take a nap afterwards.

The first things that the siblings added were the spirits. The spirits merged with the colors, giving them shape, form, and purpose. Winds now blew the colors and even when there was no wind, the colors swayed to their own rhythm, trying to fit what would make them happiest. The spirits seemed to flow, bending their shapes and shifting their forms every now and then to enjoy their places. They stretched toward the sky, or bowed away, or leaned toward each other, always drifting. Now, there were beings of the World, but then the Dragons thought that they could do better.

They wanted to go for something that no other god had seen before, something special. Setsu suggested making creatures like themselves and so they made dragons, but a little different from celestial Dragons. The appearance was quite similar, but the dragons were not divine, not immortal, and not omnipotent. However, they were all unique with freewill and desires all their own. Setsu was so delighted that she could not stop with the powerful dragons and had to make lesser reptiles and amphibians like snakes and frogs and their relatives. The World seemed to pop with life now.

The scaled goddess was so happy with the new creation that she shared her joy with friends—other gods. Kaotal was able to lie down and sleep now that his sister brought others into her new hobby; if he ever smiled, that would have been the time that he did. Her friends were all too happy to join in, especially after witnessing her living and moving creations.

Other gods added their own creations to the World; some modeled after themselves and others just thoughts in the gods minds. And so came birds and fish, more colors and movement. Insects, worms, and other creeping things were brought forth, dashing about the globe, moving almost like the waters that came before them. Mammals both on land and in the sea came about, some of them were lumbering and others breezing about the place in ways that wind even envied. The whole planet looked so alive and vibrant. The gods were all pleased with what they had done and grateful that Setsu had shared the chance with them.

As the gods were about to return to their usual antics, one particular goddess noticed something happening down on the new, wondeful Creation. She saw the dragons, acting as she knew dragons should act. She smiled to herself, thinking about how sentimental and vain Setsu and Koatal were to make smaller versions of themselves. Yet, she was intrigued by the notion.

Xol was the goddess that was enthralled with the dragon creations. She was a warrior goddess with defined muscles and blazing orange eyes. Blonde and crimson hair crowned her head with a majesty that a king would never know. A pair of feline-like red ears poked out of golden half of her hair.

She dwelled quite close to where Setsu had started her planet project. Setsu noticed her good friend's interest and could not help wondering what the warrior was so curious of. Setsu, never one to be shy, had no trouble asking Xol what was so intriguing and Xol gave her an honest answer. Xol wanted to put her own sentient people, similar to herself in ways, on the planet, like Setsu had done with the dragons. Setsu conceded, but playfully refused to tell her dear friend how she and her brother made the lesser dragons.

Xol asked Kaotal, but the lazy god gave a flippant response before falling asleep for the umpteenth time in one day. Xol was on her own in creating creatures of her own like the Dragon siblings' earth-bound, free-thinking reptiles. The warrior goddess was never one to back down from a challenge or a desire, so she began her own attempts. All failures.

Xol grew angry from lack of knowledge and Setsu went about trying to cheer her friend up in ways that only gods would understand, or maybe just ways that Setsu would understand because Xol did not think that anything was cheerful about how smug the Dragon was. She still refused to tell her secret in how she and her brother created the dragons, but she did put the planet closest to Xol to allow Xol to look upon the world, study it, and perhaps come to an understanding.

Xol became the sun and looked upon the creation intently. She did not figure out how the Dragon siblings created their lesser dragons, though. She turned her attention to Xin, her nearest neighbor and deepest love, hoping that he would be able to help. Xin was more a scholar than a warrior, but was known to fight fiercely for his beliefs and love.

Xin moved closer to observe the planet, closer than even Xol. He watched the worldly dragons with intense ice blue eyes and even he could not figure out how exactly the siblings had created such beings. Xol could not believe that her love, by far the most intelligent god—in her opinion anyway—could not uncover how the Dragon siblings managed their earthly creation.

He did come up with an alternative plan for his beloved, a plan that Xol adored. Instead of copying whatever method the Dragon siblings had used, they mix their divine blood with new creations. For Xol, it was more than just a way to create such fascinating beings as the Dragon duo had done, but also allowed her a chance to do something with her favorite god in the Heavens.

Xol and Xin dubbed their new creations Daijinn. The daijinn were a mix of both gods, which delighted the couple. Xol and Xin had feline and canine attributes respectively; it had been this couple that created the cats, dogs, and their relatives of the planet. Their daijinn possessed characteristics from both as well, but physically they appeared to be totally new creatures.

Daijinn lacked fur on almost every part of their bodies and walked upright on two legs, unlike most creatures of the planet, but very much like the gods. The daijinn had triangular ears on the top of their heads; the size of the ears varied from each individual and the ears were covered in short fur that tended to match the color of their hair. Their hair was often a mix like Xol's dual colored mane; Xin had dull gray locks. The daijinn also had tails, which were covered in the same color fur as their hair, which was the same case with both gods. The tails ranged from long and slender to long and bushy to short and appearing almost cut off.

Other than appearance, whatever other abilities the daijinn might have would be a surprise. They were of divine blood, so they should have something underneath their exterior to impress not only the gods, but each other. They should also be able to keep up with those that they shared the planet with. The dragons were extraordinary, even if they were not total gods, and the daijinn were going to need to be able to stand with the dragons rather than live in their shadows.

The daijinn and the dragons seemed to get along well enough. They shared the land and the seas. The dragons owned the skies, but the daijinn were able to take the treetops. They could come together on common ground and retreat from each other when conflict arose, which did happen.

Xol and Setsu did not expect everything to go well between their creations considering everything did not even always go well between the gods. Xol and Setsu, even as good friends, had their moments where they actually came to blows over things, but when it was all over, they were friends again. They expected no less from their creations, but they knew that things never went fully as expected when free-thinking beings were involved. In fact, there were problems amongst the gods when the red star in the Heavens noticed the daijinn.

Zonder, the red star and a rather vain god—even by the Heavens' standards—became jealous that he was not asked to put his own sentient creations on the planet. He was also a good friend of Setsu and shone close to the new planet, just like Setsu, Xol, and Xin. He had quite the decent view of the World and liked watching it as much as any other god.

He had added colors to the planet; some of the most breathtaking shades of red that Setsu had ever seen and she told him as much. So, he raged when he saw that the Dragon goddess allowed Xol and that—well, there really were no words to express his thoughts on Xin—to pollute the World with an inferior group of beings without even requesting that he make his own people for the collective Creation. Setsu shrugged off his anger and told him to feel free to make his own race to populate the planet as there was still plenty of space for other life.

Zonder went to work, but could not quite figure out how to create the same intelligent life as the worldly dragons and the daijinn. He tried to come closer to the planet to observe, but seemed to forget his manners and attempted to knock Xin from his place in the Heavens. Xin refused to give up his space in the sky, enjoying his view of the little experiment that the gods had created. Zonder was very much prepared to fight for the place, but Xin was never quick to battle.

Xol, however, was always ready for war and came to the aid of her beloved as fast as she could. Her armor flared fiercely, roaring from flames that engulfed her body, and she cried her battle shout before forcing Zonder away from her dearest love. Zonder never forget what he viewed as an injustice done to him. Not that Xol wanted him to forget considering the fact that she "blessed" him with a scar carved through his right eye. She wanted that to serve as a reminder that Zonder should never again try to lay hands on Xin in anger.

Zonder retreated back to his proper place worked long and hard before he finally figured out how to create his own free-thinking beings. He gifted them with abilities as the other gods had done to allow them to survive on the planet. That was about the only personal touch he gave to his newly created race.

His humans were made from the warm mud of the ground and just a touch of life from him. He refused to add his own blood or breath because he thought that was too close to what Xol and Xin did. He would never think to do something the same as they had done now, not after the disrespect that the couple showed him.

The humans seemed to inherit their creator's hostility. Almost immediately they did not get along with the daijinn and wars erupted all over the planet between the two groups. The races clashed with a viciousness that shocked even the gods. Before those battles, the gods had looked down on the races as almost cute, but now the cuteness was interested only tearing apart flesh and ruining each other's lives.

Zonder blamed Xol and Xin, claiming that their destructive blood had infected their creations. They, of course, countered that his creations were the war-mongers, pointing out how well the daijinn had gotten along with the dragons. For the couple, it was obvious that the humans were the problem.

The gods did not intervene with the daijinn and the humans. Most of them just grew bored with watching the planet with endless wars and went on with their own pursuits. Even the dragons on the planet had enough of all of the fighting. The worldly dragons all found places and lay down to go to sleep. They slept through the conflict while the humans and the daijinn tried to lay waste to each other. It seemed like it was certain that the warring would continue until one side was completely wiped out.

Eventually, it appeared that humans had the upper hand. The daijinn put up a valiant struggle, but they succumb to the humans' science and weapons. The daijinn often refused to fight with anything other than their own hands. Yes, the Daijinn's hands were dangerous, blessed with their divine inheritance and they would do nothing to disrespect the power given to them by their chief gods. The humans were able to overpower them and drive the daijinn into hiding, in deep caverns or woods so thick that humans dared not venture in. The daijinn that did not escape were at the whims of the humans. The daijinn that hid, though, were considered craven and lost. The fighting had pauses, but never seemed to really end.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Meet Jin and see how her life begins and ends.


	2. 1: Fire and brimstone

1: Fire and brimstone

The night was quiet and still with cool air driving off the heat from earlier. Darkness blanketed the camp almost like a loving, warm comforter. The moon, so full and bright, hovered above the settlement with parental care, protecting and nurturing the people. Kind light barely touched the small, domed, hide-covered tents of the camp, but it was enough for the camp-dwellers to see by and go about their lives.

The stars that dotted the midnight sky gazed down through the dense trees, watching them with interest. There was nothing much to see except their usual daily lives, milling about the camp in the thick woodland. The typical sounds of the forest filled the cool air, chiming in with soothing music that only sounded during times of peace. The rustle of the heavy leaves from the movement of the slight breeze added to the nighttime sounds and nocturnal animals wandered about the dense woods added to the music. For the few in the camp that could relax took in the sounds and smiled as they left the music follow through them.

The camp itself was rather quiet and low-key for a community. It was the type of community that knew how to go about routines smoothly and knew how to work with the landscape around them. For defense, they also had to be as quiet as possible, wanting to draw no attention to themselves.

A very small part of the noise came from a tiny daijinn with crimson and ebony colored hair. She was inside a tent and busy rolling up a mat. Her name was Jin. She was a young girl with small, mostly red ears sticking out her wild mop of long, thick, mixed hair on the top of her head. It was more common among her people to have two colors in their hair than a single color; she liked the stories that said they got their hair from the Sun goddess. The deep scarlet hair took up the top half of her head while the back was like liquid onyx.

Her golden eyes were sprinkled with a little lime green and focused on her task with a cute kind of intensity while her slender, feline-like tail swayed gently back and forth. A smile graced her chubby face as she worked as hard as anyone else, especially her mother, who was watching the child from a place in the corner of the tent. Jin did her job with such intent that she did not notice two males enter the one-roomed tent until one of them spoke.

"How's my vixen and my little kit doing?" the taller, broader male asked with a bright smile that light up his whole slender, caramel face. His hair was the same as the little girl's with much larger ears on the top of his head.

"Poppa!" Jin cheered, getting up and charging him, a toothy grin on her face. She grabbed him around the leg, hugging the only part of his body that she could reach. She rubbed her cheek into the soft deer-skin covering his long limbs and purred merrily from the contact. Her ears were tickled by a short purple cotton kilt that he was wearing.

Jai smiled down at his "little kit," fondness in his warm gaze as he reached down for her. He hugged her tightly against his bare, thick chest, causing her to grin wider than she was already doing, threatening to split her face open thanks to her joy. She wrapped her arms around his thick neck to embrace him properly before he passed her along to the young male standing not too far behind.

"Big brother!" Jin greeted him with a very enthusiastic hug. _She's got way too much energy and she only has one volume setting_ , the adults thought, but when it was coming in the forms of affection, they could not get enough of it.

Chu, who now had his little sister attached to him, smiled as her little arms wrapped around his long, slender neck. He was a trim, ebony-haired male with small triangular ears hidden underneath his spiked hair. His orange eyes lit up when his little sister hit him for her enthused greeting. He practically engulfed Jin in return as he leaned down to hug her back. He kissed the top of her head and playfully flicked her ears with one finger. She giggled and tried to hide from him by burrowing deeper into his chest, causing his warm, soft clothes to press against her face.

Chu turned his attention to their mother sitting at the back of the tent and grinned at her as a greeting. A smile graced her pale face in return and then she continued her work that involved a thread, needle, and a pair of her mate's other leggings. _He sure knows how to ruin a pair of pants_ , she thought to herself with a warm smile. The male in her thoughts came to her and greeted her with a small kiss on the mouth. _Bless his sweet heart_ , she added to her thoughts as he pulled away.

"What have my delightful vixen and little kit been up to all night?" Jai asked curiously, sitting down on a fluffy mat next to his wife, Chi.

"Your delightful little kit has been getting her things together, waiting for when we take up the camp in two days. She's quite happy to have some responsibility now," Chi answered with a gentle smile, pale yellow eyes taking in the sight of their children. She was the only one with managed hair in the family, combed straight locks of ebony hair with golden streaks streaming down the middle. Her voice was soft, like a sweet melody, causing her family's ears to turn directly toward her whenever she spoke.

"Oh, you decided on what task to give her?" Jai asked, leaning his broad back against a support beam in the tent. He could just imagine how Jin buzzed around the tent when Chi informed the child that she would have a job to help the family when they moved. Their baby liked helping out, so whenever she got a job, it was always a big deal for her.

"She's in charge of packing and carrying all of the sitting mats. She was quite happy when I gave her the task," Chi reported, eyes shining from the memory of their little girl jumping from joy.

His eyebrows curled up, but it was hard to see thanks to his messy bangs in front of his face. "She fell for that?" his voice laced with disbelief. Despite always wanting to help, Jin could spot busywork like a hawk could spot a fish and that was always an insult to her little pride.

"She only wants a job for our move to help out, so any job will do. She's a little one, after all," Chi answered in her usual calm tone; someone had to be the calm one in their family considering the youngest child was hyper and Chu took after his father in being too playful much of the time.

He nodded, only because he could not argue with her. He turned his attention to their daughter and son, who were roughhousing as much as a teen could with a toddler. Chu was graciously allowing his baby sister to win the little battle, laying on the floor and showing her his stomach to indicate that she was the winner. She did not seem to get it because she kept coming in for more hits…or maybe she was just that cruel, even with that bright smile on her face.

"Little kit, how about you leave your brother alone and fix your poppa some stew?" Jai suggested. He just could not take seeing Chu getting murdered by a toddler anymore.

Jin turned her attention to him and nodded vigorously, happy to be of service. She dashed away from her brother over to the pot in the fire pit in the center of the tent. The fire pit was directly underneath a small hole in the tent to let smoke out.

The reason that the tent was so cozy and only one room with little in the way of sectioning off was because they needed to pack up quickly. They were always on the move, like the rest of their camp. They were all nomads.

Jin grabbed a clay bowl that was sitting by the stew pot; it was her father's favorite bowl. The bowl was pretty to her, decorated with birds around the whole ceramic piece. She picked up a giant, wooden spoon by the side of the pot, which had been resting on a clay slab that also had birds carved into it. She used that to scoop out some stew.

"Careful of the fire," Chi gently cautioned the girl, even though she was keeping a careful eye on Jin. Her body was a little tense as she watched Jin by the pot that was almost as big as the child.

The toddler nodded as she carefully poured her father's dinner. She scooped out three spoonfuls of the hot stew, which filled the bowl. She then cautiously walked the food over to her father and handed the warm meal over to him. He accepted it with one hand and rubbed her head lovingly with the other, pushing her ears down into her wild mane. She smiled brightly and her eyes shined.

"Such a darling little kit," Jai commented with a fond smile.

Jin nodded again, a grin on her face that seemed to stretch up to her hair. She then raced back over to the pot and grabbed another bowl. She proceeded to pour stew into that bowl and then went over to her big brother, who was now sitting up with his back against a trunk in the tent. He smiled at her as she handed him the food.

"Thanks," he said graciously.

"Welcome!" the young girl replied in a chipper tone. Her brother could not help laughing a bit because of her energy.

Jin then dashed back over to the task that she had been occupied with before her father and brother returned home. The family watched her with adoring eyes; _she's quite the little sight_ , they all thought. She did not notice that she was a floor-show; not that she would have understood why they were watching her if she did notice. Of course, she would have loved the attention.

"Well, at least I can be assured the sitting mats will be all packed up when the camp moves," Jai remarked with an amused smile. His thick, bushy tail swayed a little behind him.

"If you wish, I will let her pack the whole tent. Perhaps we could catch the rest of the clan before the year is out then," Chi countered, eyes remaining on her task, but the sun-colored orbs shined with amusement. Her slender black tail mimicked her mate's.

Jai let loose a hearty laugh, his mixed-colored hair shaking a little and his tail moving a bit more. "I suppose it would do us well for me to watch my tongue," he commented.

"I believe it might. How went your patrol?" she asked curiously.

Jai was silent for a moment, scratched the end of his nose, and then glanced over at their son, who was very interested in his food now and watching the stew as if he thought it was going to run away. Jai chuckled a bit and turned his attention back to his meal. He slurped the stew, despite the fact that there were utensils to be used by the pot; too bad his "little kit" forgot to bring one over. He also did not seem to be in the mood to get up and fetch his own.

"As fine a hunter as he will make one day, your son is very much _your_ son," Jai replied with a toothy smile.

She smiled in spite of herself. "You know, it's not good to make ill of the dead. My father never liked you much anyway. I'm sure his spirit would have no problem finding you and haunting you for such words."

He just smiled again. Chu took after his late grandfather as far as Jai was concerned. Chi's father had always been an excellent hunter, bringing down big game on his own much of the time without a problem. But, he never could figure out how to act while on patrol, making sure that the surrounding areas were safe for the clan to camp down for a little while. Jai could not understand how that was, but his son and father-in-law managed it.

The family was relatively quiet after that. While Jai and Chu finished off the stew, Jin finished up her job of making sure all of the sitting mats were put away; all except the ones that were being used. With that done, she crawled over to her mother and made herself comfortable in her mother's lap. Her actions halted the sewing that her mother had been working on.

"Sing to me, Momma," the child requested with a contented expression washing over her face.

"If I sing to you, dearest child, you'll fall asleep early and then wake up too early," Chi pointed out in her usual gentle tone.

"I like being up early and I like hearing Momma sing," Jin countered, cuddling up into her mother's stomach. She let loose a small yawn as her mother's comfortable presence surrounded her like a protective shell.

Chi smiled tenderly and put down her needle as well as her husband's pants. She reached up and caressed her daughter's head as she started singing a soft song. The child immediately shook her head.

"No, not that song, Momma. I wanna hear the one about the sun and moon again," Jin declared.

The mother's face scrunched up a little. "You always hear that song. Why is such a little girl so interested in a love song, anyway?" she asked curiously, even though she did not expect an answer.

The golden-eyed girl shrugged. She did not know anything about her favorite song being a love song. She just thought her mother's voice sounded best of all when singing the song about the sun and the moon. The tune was low and soft, like the air of the night. Jin could not resist as her mind was swept away by the sound of her mother's voice and her eyes slowly slid shut, as she had been warned would happen. The child was asleep in no time.

"I hope you plan to be getting up early with her," Jai remarked as he looked down at the snoozing child.

Chi cut her husband a glance. "You know as well as I that she'll be beating you with her little fists when she wakes up. She'll want you to walk her to the hills and watch the sun move into the western sky."

He grimaced, knowing that was the truth. "I suppose I need to take myself to sleep too then. The last thing I need is to have to chase the little kit on limited sleep and waking at an hour I utterly hate."

Chi laughed a bit while refraining from making a comment about her husband hating any hour before noon. Instead, she turned her attention back to their daughter and started singing again to make sure the child remained asleep. Dealing with the girl after a short nap was just as bad as her waking up early, because after a short nap, she was energized enough to stay up well past everyone's bedtime. They were pretty much in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.

After a while, she went and put the child down on her pallet in the corner, next to several perfectly folded mats. The pallet was the only bed that was not put away because Jin refused to let her mother put it up, swearing that she could do it on her own. But, being a busy little toddler, one thing led to another and to another until she never got around to putting the bedding away. It worked out because her mother did not have to unroll the pallet and could just put her down for her nightly rest.

With the child down for the night and hopefully the whole morning, Chi went about her chores, finishing her sewing before moving onto another task. She gathered the used dinner dishes, putting them into the now empty cauldron that the stew had been in, and walked to the door with the pot in her hands without a problem. Before she could get out of the tent, her son stopped her.

"Would you like company, Momma?" Chu inquired. He was busy pulling out his own pallet, planning to go to bed sometime soon apparently. The sun was going to rise in a few hours and he liked to go to sleep before the sun came up; generally, the whole camp was asleep by sunrise.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I can do the dishes faster without company," she replied.

He nodded to that response, expecting it since he knew it to be a fact. He decided to do some reading since he had nothing better to do now that his mother did not want company. He rested on his back on his pallet after he found what he wanted to read, pulling a scroll out of a leather bag next to his bedding.

Chu was not surprised to see his father bedding down for the night; after all, his father was the one that would be up with his sister when she woke up hours before the rest of the family. The early rising was just about the only thing his mother would not indulge the child in, not that he was not much better when it came to his baby sister.

Chi made her way down to a creek that was not too far; their clan always set up camp near running fresh water. Her eyes glowed in the night like so many nocturnal creatures' eyes did, catching as much light as possible to navigate through the darkest nights. She easily made it down to the water where she was not the only one setting up to do dishes. There were several other females there, washing dishes or clothing.

Small conversations cropped up as the females washed their items; their voices buzzed in only a slightly louder hum than the woodland animals that were around them. Everything was going normally until they heard howling.

They all sharply turned their heads in the direction of the howling.

"The alarm!" Chi gasped, her expression falling as if she had been physically hit.

The washing task was abandoned by the females as they rushed back to the camp, moving so quickly and quietly it was almost like they were flying. On their way, they could hear the disturbance in the woods, the loud rustling of the bushes and the trembling of trees. The ground shook under their fleeing feet and someone cried out that the sky was on fire, so they all had to look up.

Flame-tipped arrows were whistling through the air, igniting the post-midnight sky with the luster of tiny comets, prophesying doom. The arrows landed in the camp, some on top of the tents. The cloth was not ignited immediately since it was covered in animal skins for protection, but if the shower continued, everyone knew that the camp would burn to the ground.

The females rushed to their homes to check on their families first and foremost, knowing that the attack had come at a time when most of the camp was getting ready to go to sleep or finishing up little chores, so they were all off-guard. Chi returned home to see her husband and son standing out of the tent, assessing the situation. She regarded them with hard eyes and turned for a moment to look in the direction that they were facing.

"Take your sister and go," Chi commanded her son. Her voice had an edge to it that let the teen know she was serious and he really should not argue. But, he was their offspring, so he did not always do what he should.

"I can fight just as well as you and Poppa," Chu replied insistently, hitting himself in the chest with his right fist. Even though this was the first time that he had ever been involved in an attack, he was certain that he could help defend the camp.

"Take her and run!" the mother ordered harshly. A vein bulged in her nearly white neck while her husband backed her up by glaring at the teen so intensely that Chu thought the look would melt his insides. "Make sure you and your little sister make it, son!" she commanded him, her eyes now pleading with him.

Chu quickly ducked back into the tent while his parents took off forward, toward the sound of the alarm and the source of the projectiles raining down on their home like fire and brimstone. They rushed pass the sharpened wooden spikes that were planted around the camp's perimeter and into the woods, hoping to stave off the attack with other warriors until the camp was cleared of their clan.

The air seemed smothering with the hot scent of burnt wood and growing ash the farther the couple traveled from the camp. They could smell the distinct scent of blood hanging in the air as soon as they hit the thick of the woods. They effortlessly leaped into trees, hoping to move cautiously and silently into the battle. What they came across was a slaughter.

"Humans!" they both gasped in horror as their faces tensed with stony hatred.

There was a band of humans brutally murdering their few camp lookouts and engaged in battle with the few warriors that had arrived. The humans were armed with shields and sharpened metallic weapons, mostly swords and battle-axes, cutting down the first few daijinn that they came across. Other members of the clan showed up with the couple, and they launched their counter with their own weapons, claws on their hands sharp enough to slice off limbs with little effort.

Daijinn poured down from the darkened trees into the killing fields, cutting down humans as they landed. Shrieks whipped through the air loudly while weapons went through the wind with smaller sounds. The closeness of the trees allowed for few mistakes and the first to make a miscalculation lost his life. Human and daijinn alike fell in the poorly chosen battlefield.

"Garrick was a fool to order the attack now," a human growled while beating back one daijinn with the flat of his small, circular shield. He failed to notice the one behind him and gasped as claws slid into his back with the ease of a knife through butter.

Jai and Chi had been some of the first warriors on the scene and they focused on the battle, but at the back of their minds they hoped that the camp was making out well as they tried to cut down invader after invader. With luck and the gods' will, their son had gotten himself and his little sister to safety, they both silently prayed. In truth, Chu had barely made it to the gate around the camp before he could see that he, his little sister, and the rest of the camp were surrounded. His jaw practically hit the dirt as his mind tried to come up with an escape route.

"Shit," the teenager cursed to himself as he saw the movement of the humans coming closer to the camp. Their weapons shone in the dark thanks to the reflection of the moonlight, as if signaling to the Daijinn that there was trouble approaching.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Jin asked in a small, nearly frightened voice. Her brother was holding her in his arms, close to his chest. She could feel his heart pounding heavily against her ribs. His breathing was rapid and ragged, pushing his chest against her and letting her feel the unnatural rhythm of his breaths. She swallowed hard, her own heart rate increasing as she clutched onto her panicking brother tightly.

Her brother did not answer her question. He merely turned frantically, knowing that he needed to get her to safety above anything else. He turned to run, hearing arrows being loaded and bow strings being played. Arrows darted by him, but thanks to his keen ears he was able to avoid them. He did not avoid a thrown axe as the blade slammed into his shoulder. Chu hissed in pain, but did not let go of his sister. In fact, his grip on the child only tightened, nearly crushing her against his thin frame. She whimpered, but made sure that she stayed close to her brother's protective frame.

Flames rushed up in the camp from the hail of fire-laced arrows and the two siblings could feel the heat nipping at their skin. Fires grew like menacing plants, lighting the dark camp with deadly intent, cutting off any escape path that looked remotely good to Chu. The humans poured in like water from a broken dam as the few daijinn still in the camp, mostly teens who were trying to protect the children and elders, panicked at the overwhelming force invading their home.

The hot air seemed to strangle Chu as he tried to carry his little sister to one of the many havens of the camp, but the humans continued advancing inward, using their larger numbers to push the daijinn to the center of their encampment. Chu hissed as an arrow struck his knee and he dropped to the dust, but made sure to clutch his sister tightly, protecting her from everything, including the fall. His arms took the brunt of the impact that Jin would have gotten.

"Brother, what's going on?" Jin cried as she saw the burning destruction and carnage around her. The screams of casualties assaulted her ears like the axe and arrow assaulted her brother. Tears gathered in her eyes and she buried her head in her brother's chest, hoping to block out all of the terror engulfing her life and soul.

Chu once again did not respond. His mind could not think of any reassuring words. His mind did not even focus on the pain stampeding through his body. The only thing driving him now was that he needed to get his little sister some place safe, but the more he ran, the more he realized that there was nowhere to go. He limped as he moved now, going past burning tents and scorched comrades, trying to find his way through a blackened maze of corpses, smoke, cries, and debris.

"Please, please, please," Chu silently begged whatever god in the Heavens might be listening to him. _Please, just allow me the chance to get my little sister some place safe and then whatever fate wants can happen to me_!

He turned the corner, hoping to make it to a hidden tunnel, but only ran into a massive invader. He gasped as the huge human male raised a sword to cut him down. Chu acted without thinking, doing the only thing he could do with an injured leg and wounded shoulder. He tossed his little sister away before the thick, broad sword cut against his chest, going diagonally along the space where he had held his sister only milliseconds ago. The child smashed into the dirt, but her eyes went to Chu before she even touched down.

"Brother!" Jin cried as she watched the sword enter her brother's body without the smoothness that one would expect of a blade. The sword seemed to saw through and get stuck for a second or so.

Her brother did not make a sound as the weapon entered his battered body. His eyes were defiant to the beast in front of him. The sinister giant of a man smirked wickedly as he removed his sword and the teenager dropped, blood pouring into the blackened earth around him. The man then turned his attention to Jin, who whimpered as she took in his crooked features.

The cold, evil in those blue eyes would never leave her mind, Jin knew that. His tan face was smudged with ash from the fires and blood from his victims, but she could see his chiseled cheek bones and squared jaw. His long black hair blew violently behind him like a tormented flag and his expression twisted as he raised his sword as if to bring it down on her. The image was burned into her mind as if it was a red, hot poker on her brain while her insides trembled from fear and sorrow.

"Take this one!" he roared, head turned so that his voice would be heard by some of his men nearby.

Jin did not understand what that meant until another man came and bound her with chains. She had heard horror stories of humans taking daijinn and making slaves out of them. She was not sure what a slave was; she could only gather it was not good whenever her father or other elders told her such terrifying tales. She wondered if she was being stolen and she wondered if she was going to suffer the same fate as those in the horror stories.

"Momma! Poppa!" Jin cried out for her greatest protectors. "Big brother, get up! Get up!" she begged, tears streaming down her face like pouring rain.

Jin knew that her brother would not be getting up. Death was not something she was naïve about, even at such a young age. She had seen hunts and watched meat prepared, knowing those animals were dead and never coming back. No, her brother was not getting up, but her young mind and crying heart had hope.

"Brother!" she pled, eyes locked on his corpse until she was dragged out of sight by a rope that bound her arms together. She tried clawing at the ground to go back to her brother, but the human pulling her struck her in the head soundly. Blackness overcame the little girl quickly.

When Jin regained consciousness, she found herself in a cart with a few other clan members. They were on a forest path and the sickening smell of blood was thick in the air with the accompanied by charred wood and smothering smoke. Jin cast her sorrowful golden eyes outward into the woods and immediately caught sight of why she smelled so much blood.

"Don't look, child," an elder pled with her, but she did not heed the advice.

She could not turn away for the horrifying scene and the pale moonlight offered her eyes more than enough to see clearly. So many bodies, bent at weird angles or lain out as if they were only sleeping and glass-like eyes stared into dark nothingness with opened mouths, silently calling for help or pleading for mercy. There was so much blood, and with her nose, she could tell that the blood of her clan ran like a raging river, cutting through their forest home. Her eyes continued fishing through the sea of dead bodies even as other elders encouraged her not to look upon such a sight. She did not obey and continued searching. Then, she saw the sight that killed her.

Her dearest mother and loving father lay near the road, riddled with arrows and battle axes. Their bodies were twisted and turned, looking utterly broken, as if they were ruined clay sculptors. Hollow eyes stared into the nothingness of the dense treetops, hands reached out for each other, falling short by an inch. Mouths were opened slightly, as if they were still mumbling in prayer, asking the gods for their children to be safe.

Jin learned many things in that short night of carnage. First, she learned that the cruelty of humanity, about how humans were not just fanciful demons made up by elders to frighten children. She learned just how much her brother loved her, as he clung to her for dear life and sacrificed all that he had for her. She was also learning about hatred, as it slowly gnawed on her insides and invaded her young mind and heart; she had never felt such a biting emotion before. She learned about real revenge as she could feel the desire burning in her like the flames of the sun itself. The latter two developed in her as she thought about the face permanently branded in her mind, of the human devil that murdered her beloved brother.

Jin lost her entire family and most of her clan in a frenzy that lasted less than an hour. As the rickety cart pulled her from her home and her loved ones, she looked back at her dead parents on last time and realized that she, too, had died that night. There was no Jin, like there was no Chi, Jai, Chu, or clan. Everything was gone, swallowed up by evil with blue eyes.

-8-8-8-8-

Next: Jin is brought to the city, sold to a lord, and trained as a "dog."


	3. 2: Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there will be mentioned abuse in this chapter...and pretty much through out the story.

2: Training

Jin doubted that she would ever forget seeing the city when the broken-down, squeaky-wheeled wagon that she and her clansmen rode in drew close enough to give them a view of the place. She had never seen anything like it and she did not know what to make of it, mostly due to trauma and her youth. Her short life had been made up of living in a nomadic camp with a little fence of wooden pikes as defense. The city ahead of them had mighty stone walls that, as they rolled by, seemed high enough that Jin was sure got scraped by clouds. Her brain would not have been able to imagine what was behind those walls, even if she was fully functioning and completely conscious of the world around her.

The city walls towered over the large treetops of the forest that they were in. They were polished and cleaned to the point that they were almost pure white and practically glistening, allowing them to be seen from quite the distance. The bright, near ivory walls were easier to see than the wide river in front of the construction, amazingly enough. Jeweled mosaics of garden scenes with flowers and birds decorated the bottom half of most of the wall, and in some places the scenes stretched almost to the heavens themselves.

Jin probably would have been awed if only she was not so numb. Her golden eyes were glazed over, looking as close to glass as physically possible. She was barely breathing and blinked only about once a minute. Her body barely moved as the wagon rocked and creaked as it rolled through the dirt road littered with pebbles. Elders around her were kind enough to flick away any bugs that might bite her unfeeling skin. She watched as the city walls seemed to grow as the city got closer.

Seeing the city, even though Jin would never forget it, seemed like she was looking out of someone else's eyes and, as far as she was concerned, she was. After all, she was certain that she had died on the night of the raid, which seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it was only a few days ago. She had to be dead, she silently decided. It only made sense for her to be the same as her family because they were her whole world. Her young mind could not fathom her existing if her whole world was gone.

The wagon sounded as if it was going to collapse on the dirt road and groaned as it moved closer to the calm, wide river that separated the wild forest from the civilized city. Jin watched the approach for lack of a better thing to do, but her mind remained turned off. She did not feel anything as the humans took them closer to what had to be a human settlement. She used to think it was weird that humans made permanent settlements. Daijinn were always nomadic.

Jin was not the only one in the wagon that seemed to have shut down for the most part. Her other surviving clan members were all quiet and still. The humans around them glared at them on occasion to make sure that the daijinn stayed as they were, but for the most part, the shattered nomads barely registered their captors. Along with the sounds coming from the decrepit cart, boisterous noise never seemed to cease with the human warriors. To the daijinn, the most these sounds amounted to was garbled white noise.

The wagon moved onto a narrow bridge as it came to the river banks. There were two bridges that led across the river to the city and they were hardly wide enough for four horses to walk side by side. The bridges were lined with all sorts of potted plants. The guardrails were as tall as a man with thin columns that allowed those on the bridge to see into the dark blue, almost black water on the river, attesting to how deep the calm waters ran.

It seemed to take days to cross the bridge, but at the same time seemed to take seconds to Jin. Time itself was lost to the child. She was not even sure how long she had been in the wagon. It could have been years or it could have been minutes. Everything was just a blur, moving faster than thoughts, but also possibly standing still.

Jin peered into the dark water, also not sure if it was running or as immobile as a lake. She did notice that the river was teaming with fish that were leaping out of the water, an amazing feat for such big, plump creatures; it was like they were trying to get onto the bridges before they moved down the river. She thought about how much her brother would enjoy fishing in the river, if only he could.

Her eyes drifted to the bridge's road to see that it was not a dirt road like the one they had been on in the woods. The bridge was tiled; there were rich mosaics as the road. The scenes depicted all different sorts of subjects, none of them familiar to her young daijinn eyes. She did recognize the flowers that appeared in every scene that they passed over, but they did not hold her interest.

Jin collapsed to the wagon bed after they entered the city, eyes trying to see the blue sky, but catching mostly slated roofs. Tan wood covered the tops of homes and buildings, which she did not see totally because she kept her gaze aimed in the sky. The structures that they passed were mostly white and they held their own little flower designs on them. Many buildings sported roses of various colors and sizes decorating them.

Jin could hear the humans talk a language that she did not know and sounded somewhat harsh to her pointed, furry ears. The wagon came to a halt and Jin was able to tell that it stopped. She sat up, considering that she would figure out what was going on. She did not have the chance for that because the wagon lurched forward to continue on.

When the wagon began moving again, Jin was jolted off balance and fell back. The sudden movement threw the child into one of the others in the wagon with her—a young female that she knew was a bit older than her now-gone brother. The teenager wrapped her arms around her, which Jin thought was puzzling because of the way the teen was trembling.

Jin was familiar with the teenager holding her and the toddler knew that the way the teen was shaking meant something was wrong. Ten, the teen, was a powerful warrior in their clan, even though she was only in her teens. Jin was not sure what would make the warrior quiver and hold her almost gently, something that was not associated with warriors. Jin did not understand the protective gesture that persisted as they rode through the city and did not try to understand, but she remained in the embrace.

"Please, remain still, little one. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself," Ten whispered in Jin's ear.

The child nodded to show that she comprehended what she was being told, even though she was lying. The embrace tightened after her nod, but Ten did stop trembling. The toddler went back to barely noticing what was going on after that.

Jin and the other surviving members of her clan were taken through the busy city to the market area. She was not sure what was happening, but when the wagon stopped, the humans started screaming at them. She did not understand the men at all, but Ten her picked her up and carried her out of the cart in a hurry. She and her clansman were horded into a small, dark cellar and left there for an undetermined amount of time.

Being so close made things cramped, smelly, and hot, but no one uttered a complaint. The floor was hard, like rock. No light was able to seep into the place, so they did not have a chance to see around the basement dwelling. The only things that they could hear were their own breathing and the sounds of their heartbeats pounding in their own ears. Ten held Jin tightly the whole time.

Jin still was not sure why the teen was holding her. She did not feel afraid, alone, or even curious, so she did not see why she should be embraced. She did not feel anything. She was just there, much like a stone was just there.

But, when Jin was ripped away from those safe arms and Ten screamed for her, her heart suddenly began to race. The scream was so desperate and scared that she considered the teen probably knew something that she did not.

Jin wondered, were the humans going to hurt her? She knew that was what the humans did in every scary story that she had ever heard. Some of the things from the stories used to cause her to hide under her covers when she was supposed to be sleeping because she did not want the humans to get her. Right now, things were different, though. Nothing mattered and Jin's heart returned to its normal pace. She did not care what the humans were going to do with her; she did not care about anything.

Jin was pulled away harshly by a human who barked orders that she did not understand. She suspected that the humans did not care that she could not understand them, but they enjoyed yelling for whatever reason. She was yanked into the light. Her eyes burned and ached under the crushing caress of the sun.

Once Jin realized her eyes were bothered, she came to realize that her limbs hurt from disuse. She was not used to such confinement or being still for so long. She did not have long to ponder the pain, though. She barely had time to take in her surroundings because of how rapidly she was being jerked and her eyes refused to adjust. She squinted, thinking it might help her eyes, but the sun was cruel for the moment.

The familiar smell of soil hit her nose and she was able to tell she was walking on it since she was not wearing shoes. The dirt was dry and scratched the bottom of her feet. A mixture of noises assaulted her ears; noises that she had been hearing since entering the city.

The human tugging on Jin halted as they came to a wooden fence that was only a couple of yards away from the cellar that she and her clansmen were locked in. Her golden eyes relaxed enough for her to see that she was standing in dirt and she turned back to where she had come from. She could see her tiny footsteps leading away from a building that looked like every other building in the city. It was so unassuming, making it hard to believe that in a tiny door that led to the basement a dozen daijinn were huddled together, praying for the best possible outcome to their situation, but knowing they were at the gates of Hell.

Jin took in the sights around her while she had the chance. She found that she was surrounded by tall, smooth stone buildings and soothing earth tones that mapped out the city. She had never seen anything like it, having lived in a camp for her short life. The camp was always located in deep forests, where she was engulfed by lush greens more than anything else. There were also grays of the mountains with blues of pure water and the inviting sky. Yes, she subconsciously decided, the city was completely different from her home and she was not sure if she would ever see anything like either of them again.

Suddenly, the human yanked on Jin's arms, growling something at her. She blinked hard, trying to figure out what he was saying to her. The words did not matter as he violently clamped chainless shackles around her wrists. Her face scrunched up as she examined the bonds; _what_ ' _re these?_ She considered that they might be human jewelry, but she did not see why he would give them to her.

The cold, dull grey cuffs covered Jin's wrists and almost half of her forearm, biting slightly into her pale skin. The bands had wavy grooves cut partially through them and she felt the urge to trace each wiggly line. She was not given that chance either as a cold, metal collar was attached to her neck, complete with a rope leash. She gagged a little from the surprise, but the action went by quickly. She fingered that new accessory, feeling wavy grooves on it too. _Why're they giving me jewelry? What're they going to do to me?_

Jin looked up at the man who was attaching the new objects to her and noticed that he did not seem to really see her. He was paying more attention to a man standing in front of him, just beyond the wooden fence. The man beyond the fence, his eyes were on her, though. It was not a good feeling.

Since the man at the fence watched Jin, she watched him in return, as any child would. He was dressed oddly in her opinion. He was wearing a dark crimson vest that flared out once it reached his waist; there were golden leaf designs on the vest. Underneath the vest was a flowing white long sleeve shirt and his pants were quite the same. There were scarlet vine designs running through the shirt and the pants. The material was nothing like she had ever seen. It sort of shined like a cloth liquid, in her opinion, and she wanted to touch it, maybe even roll around in it if it felt as nice as it looked. He wore plain blood red slippers with more golden leaf designs on the footwear. That was about the only thing about him that did not seem odd to her.

Despite the man's strange clothing and fine jewelry, Jin focused on his eyes. She had never seen brown eyes before, but there was more to it than the fact that she had never seen the color. His eyes seemed hard and chilling, like his gaze could freeze lava. Suddenly, she missed those powerful arms that had held her so tightly not too long ago. She wondered, as her heart increased speed again, if it was too late to run back to Ten. The tug on her leash gave her the answer and caused her heart to continue racing. The leash itself spoke to her much better than the human male barking at her did, ordering her to move forward. Her feet tried their best to disobey.

Jin was dragged to a nearby carriage where the man with the frightening eyes stood. The leash was handed over to another human. He smelled more pleasant than the first man yanking her, but that was little consolation. She was confused by what was going on, but she quickly realized that she was being taken from her clansmen. Tugging at the leash, she tried to pull away, desiring to run back to that cramped, stinky cellar.

The human yanked at Jin's bonds, causing her to gag for a moment and lurch forward, but she did not cease. The haunting-eyed male barked something in her direction; the next thing she knew, she felt a sharp pain race through her, as if she had been struck by lightning. Her whole body paused before convulsing. A wild, light yelp escaped her lips as it felt like her nerves were trying to leap out of her body. Every inch of her cried out as the sheer pain raced through her, going from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair and then back down to her toes, her tail whipped and stood straight up like a rod. She passed out from the agony.

-8-8-8-8-

When Jin regained consciousness, she found herself in a very tiny gray room, almost like a box, with one window high out of her reach. The window was closed off with thick black metal bars. Rays of light shone through, but were fading, signally that dusk was approaching and night would soon cover the planet. The light did not reflect well off of the walls, but there was more than enough for Jin to look around the sparse, almost sterile room.

There was a small, dark wooden table by the wall, but even if Jin pushed that underneath the window, she would not be tall enough to reach. She knew that jumping would not help either. She scanned the room, taking everything in and trying to find another means of escape, and spied a door not too far away. She shrugged and figured that she might as well try it. After all, she asked herself, _what could it hurt?_

The diminutive child rushed to the wooden door and was about to exit, or at least thought that she was, when suddenly the door burst open. She leaped back, bare feet smacking against the cold cement floor as she landed, and found herself face to face with another human male. She growled at the man, immediately noticing his icy hazel eyes. He smirked at her and began speaking to her, but she still did not understand the human language. She understood the man's purpose long before she understood what he was saying to her.

The man yelled at Jin more often than not and cracked a whip to get her to move. The first few times, cracking the whip had meant nothing to her and then he started using it. She learned the sting of that weapon quickly and despised how it made her skin burn and bubble up with welts. Her disdain for the weapon quickly transferred to the man wielding it because he had no problem with popping her. That was her first lesson of the night, but there were many more to come over time.

-8-8-8-8-

Over the next few weeks, Jin learned many more lessons about the whip and the human that wielded it. Pain came whenever Jin did not move when her trainer wished as he cracked his whip and scarred her body on a daily basis for hours on end. Her young mind rapidly began to decipher his desires to avoid the agony of his whip or, if he was close enough, the feel of his heavy boots. The first word she ever spoke in human tongue was due to his "training" as she had come to understand it.

"Rose…" was the word that she hissed; her native language was so much thicker than the human's. The man hollered that word at her and whipped her for weeks, at first for not replying and then for pronouncing it wrong.

Jin was never praised for a correct action, just moved onto the next thing that she knew would result in more pain. She wished that she understood what he was trying to teach her, just so she could learn it and hopefully he would leave her be. She thought that figuring out that he wanted her to say the word "Rose" would be enough, but she learned otherwise. She figured out that he was calling her "Rose" and that was her new name. She knew that whatever her mother, father, brother, and other clansmen ever called her was to be forgotten. She was "Rose" now and if she ever said otherwise, it would equal pain. So, gone was Jin and in her place was a very battered Rose.

The next thing that "Rose" learned was the metal wristbands that she was forced to wear were actually the source of much of her pain. A word from her human trainer and the lines on the bands would glow a rich, light blue and cause her to collapse as it felt like everything inside of her body was being shredded. She did not even know such pain could exist without killing her instantly, but she had lived through the experience more times than she liked thanks to her trainer. She was fairly certain that lighting all of her nerves on fire would be more merciful.

She also learned that a different word controlled the collar and it sent a different sort of pain through her if the trainer uttered that word. It was the collar-word that caused her to fall unconscious almost instantly. She always felt the overwhelming surge, as if her head was going to explode, and then she would be overcome by darkness. So, she was always careful to make sure he did not have to say that collar-word. He used the wrist-word almost as much he used the whip, though.

"Rose" could only wonder what she had done to deserve such punishment, or "training" as the human male called it. She dared to ask herself, _what did I do to get hurt so much? What did I do for Momma, Poppa, and Brother to leave me? Why'd the humans take me from everybody and hit me so much, hurt me so much?_ She did not have any answers and none ever came to her. She did come to the conclusion that humans were demons, like all the stories said, though.

Aside for her trainer, she did see other humans, mostly women. Maids came in and out of the little room when the trainer was gone. They brought her food or bathed her, neither coming as often as the child would have liked. The maids that bathed her found their job to be an adventure the first few times out of the gate. She was not used to anyone aside for her mother bathing her, so when the humans came in with their small tub and pitchers of water (rather cold water), she tried hiding underneath the table, which did not work out well. She put up a fuss with them, almost wrestling with them, as they tried to take her to the bath. It got to the point where her thrashing tail slapped one of the maids and that was enough for them. One word ceased her struggling; a couple of the maids actually did not like the use of the wrist bands and were stunned when the child fell over with a pained yelp. The word came out of their mouths a lot less than it did her trainer, the girl noticed, but it still came.

It took a few more jolts on different occasions for her to learn to stop struggling. Some of the maids did coo over her, though, once she became docile. Her spirits dropped to the point where her ears, usually tall and erect, slumped always. They would pet her and some caressed her ears despite the fact that they drooped. Her tailed also dragged now and sometimes the maids would caress it too. She did not like the touching, especially of her ears because that was the way her mother used to touch her. Whenever the maids laid a hand on her, it always brought a frown to her young, pale face.

Sometimes, the maids would also tend to her wounds caused by her trainer's whip, salvaging youthful skin as best they could. She still did not appreciate their presence, even when they rubbed ointments on her to take away the hot sting on her back and arms. Every time she saw them, she just wished that they would go away.

Nights were really the only time that she got to herself, she was not sure why that was. Her own people were more inclined to do things at night. From what she could tell thanks to her sensitive ears, humans did almost nothing after dark. She barely could pick up footsteps or talking or any other signs of life outside her door when night settled in. Humans were obviously creatures of the day, which she was slowly becoming too.

She really had little choice in being up in the day. It was not much of a change for her because she often got up in the day; it was something that used to annoy her parents. Still, she did that by choice. She did not enjoy being forced into it, but then again, she did not enjoy much of the humans that she had met thus far. But, she did not express that much, only showing that she was learning to avoid beatings.

-8-8-8-8-

The door creaked open to "Rose's" tiny cell. The noise was always ominous and drove her to her feet automatically now. She stood from the small cushion that was set in the corner for her as bed and stood at attention as her "teacher" entered the room. She scurried over to him once he was fully inside; she reminded him of a squirrel, which was influenced by her ears and tail.

"You've obviously learned things rather well. Let's go over a few things then," the human male proposed, as if she had a choice.

"Rose" was quiet, knowing not to say anything until ordered to. He smiled, looking so close to a demon that it would not have surprised her to see horns grow out of his head. She did not move, even though she wanted to flinch thanks to his expression. Her heart beat faster and her nerves twitched in anticipation. She could not help wondering if he was feeling in a particularly cruel mood that morning, which would explain his smiling. She hoped that was not the case; she could not take much more foul treatment, feeling her body weakening with every passing day.

"What is your name?" the trainer inquired smoothly, holding up his whip as if he was ready to strike.

"Rose," she answered immediately, automatically. The word was clear now, yet it still tasted foreign and foul on her tongue.

He nodded, an approving smirk on his face. "How old are you?" he demanded to know with an edge in his voice.

The question always bothered the child. He had forced a number on her, but changed it recently. She was not sure which was the correct response anymore. She would try the first one and hope that it was correct.

"Four?" she guessed and the whip cracked. She flinched, feeling the weapon barely lick at her skin. Quickly, she corrected herself. "Five!" she squeaked. _Okay, five's the answer_ , she reminded herself to make sure it stayed in mind.

He growled, upset with her error, but he did not hit her. His face and stance were tense, though, so she was on edge. She watched him carefully, paying close attention to the whip. Thanks to the long, flowing sleeves of his shirt, she could not see his limbs to predict if he was going to move, but that did not stop her from staring.

"When do you speak?" her trainer inquired.

"Only when a human speaks to me," she answered in a low tone. She had been taught not to shout or growl or sound anything more than the submissive creature that she was.

"What sort of things do you like?" he demanded.

"Whatever my master likes," she whispered.

He nodded; he had done good work breaking her, he thought. Not that it took much work to train a child, or a puppy as he thought of her. He supposed that his work was done for the most part. He decided that he would show her to the lord now.

"Come with me, Rose," he commanded as he turned to leave the dreary, mundane cell.

"Rose" nodded and followed him out of the room. It was her first time out of the room since she first arrived. The first thing that she did was sniff around the hall as they entered, smelling cleaning products and wood along with the scents of humans that roamed the corridor. She did not get to take in too much of the place as she made sure to keep up with her trainer while taking in as much of the sights of the huge manor as she could.

The wooden floor was covered in a lush carpet that caressed her small, bare feet. She had to look down as she had never felt such ground before. There were all sorts of pictures worn into the plush crimson rug. She could only wonder what manner of grass it was to be so soft, like feathers and cloth.

The walls of the seemingly never-ending corridor were coated in paintings of scenery and portraits of humans. They passed by some servants, who were cleaning or running errands. "Rose" did not pay much attention to them, even the few maids that she knew, who paused in their tasks to pet her. She did not stop, making sure to keep up with her trainer lest she feel the sting of his whip.

The hallway finally came to an end and there were two doors on each side. They went to the door on the right, which appeared to be an office; a very big office. There were bookshelves that seemed to go on forever, as if they were trying to touch the ceiling, which in turn seemed to be trying to touch the sky. The shelves were full of well-dusted texts, rows of thick literature, and reference books. The fresh smell of paper was enough to make "Rose" take several low, deep breaths; the scent of the pages tickling her nostrils.

The room was decorated in dark woods, reminding the child of the deep, dark forests of another life time. The bookshelves, the walls, the floor, the frame of a couch that was lined against the wall, and the table next to the couch were all very dark wood. There were large windows wrapped around the room, starting several feet off the ground and reaching up to the ceiling; sunlight poured in as if it was raining from the sky, bathing the room in warm light. Despite the way the woods seemed embracing and the windows made the room warm, it seemed freezing and uninviting to "Rose."

At the back of the office was a dark wooden desk, where a familiar human sat. "Rose" would never forget the smell of the man and when he looked up, her heart froze because of his cold brown eyes. She had to resist the urge to flee the room; surely running off would mean hearing the wrist-word at the least and the collar-word at the most. Her heart felt like it stopped just from thinking about those dreaded words.

"Is she ready?" the seated man inquired, eyes locked on her rather than her trainer. It was as if he was trying to make her chest cave in with his intense eyes. She felt like he was going to succeed.

"She's perfect, milord," the trainer assured him, some pride invading his voice. His face tensed slightly as a brief look of disbelief graced the other man's face, apparently doubting his skills.

"Let us test her then. Rose, come," the seated man commanded.

Rose, as she now knew her name to be, trotted over to the frightening man without question, more frightened of what would happen if she disobeyed than if she did obey. She stood before him and gazed at him as if awaiting another order. He chuckled and smiled down at her; the sound and expression caused her heart to race faster than it was already doing. He reached out and she almost flinched, but remained still as he rubbed the top of her head rather hard. She was surprised her ears lived through the assault.

"Okay, so apparently she knows what her name is. Let us hear her say it. What is your name?" he demanded to know. His tone seemed to dare her to respond incorrectly.

"Rose," she answered clearly, automatically.

"That was perfect. I do not think I have ever heard one of these dogs speak so clearly," the seated man commented, laughing a little.

"This is the youngest whelp I've trained, but I think it helps when you catch them young. They learn somewhat well and are less stubborn," the trainer informed him in an almost arrogant tone.

"I have heard they cannot be taught too many things to say, though," the seated male replied, sounding almost thoughtful, as if he was saying something deep.

"Well, milord, you can teach them a few things, but I think the two I've taught her is good enough for your purposes. You do want to leave some of her understanding for the owner," the trainer pointed out.

"You are correct in that matter. After all…" He turned to look at Rose. "You would not make a good birthday present for our very own little rose princess if she could not teach you a few things."

Rose's face twitched, wanting to scrunch up in confusion. _I'm a birthday present?_ _What in the name of the sun goddess is wrong with humans_ , she wondered. _Who gives people as presents?_

"All that's left is payment for my services, milord," the trainer pointed out.

"Yes, that is right. Here is your payment," the lord replied, going into a drawer in his desk. Pulling out a small pouch, he handed the bag over to the trainer.

"Then we have no other business left to us, milord, and I will leave you to your new dog," the trainer said and he turned to leave.

The lord turned his attention back to Rose. She stared at him with large and confused golden eyes. He laughed a little and petted her again; his soft palms still managed to scrap her ears. She was not sure how, but she managed to stand still and not throw up because of his touch.

"You will be the perfect gift for our adorable little rose princess. I should be able to gain favor with her father by giving such an expensive gift," the lord said with a proud and pleased grin.

A trained daijinn, or "dog" as humans tended to call them, were not cheap. To have a trained "dog" at such a young age was almost unheard of, so it would let the King know that the lord had gotten the very best present that he could for the princess. He was certain that he would gain favor through such a thoughtful gift.

"Well, now, all we have to do is have you wrapped nicely for the princess and her birthday party a few days from now," the lord commented.

The lord called for some servants, who took Rose away to "wrap" her. She was not sure what that meant, but did not ask questions. After all, she was only to speak when spoken to when it came to humans.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Meet the girl that gets Rose as a gift.


	4. 3: A rose is a rose

3: A rose is a rose

The sigh that escaped her was probably not something anyone would expect of a five-year-old girl. Added to the incongruity of the deep sigh, it was her birthday. She was supposed to be happy, she knew that, but so far, she had not found much to be happy about on her birthday—except the thought of presents, of course.

Other than the presents, from what she could tell, her birthdays were not for her. They were for her father. Many people made her realize that. The first people to put the thought in her head were the servants.

The servants spoke about everything being for her father, as far as she was concerned. All day, she had to hear: "Princess, you have to wear your best dress tonight so as not to embarrass your father," "Princess, please, do not squirm as we fix your hair because you need to look your best tonight for your father's sake," "Princess, make sure to stand up straight for the whole night so that everyone will see your father's spirit in you," and "Princess, please, sit still like a good girl, do not to ruin your dress, so that you look well for the party tonight for your father's sake."

Not only was the party for her father, but sometimes he even got the presents. Whenever there was supposed to be a celebration for her, people showed up with gifts for her father, like a stallion someone "gave" her during a festival. The horse was obviously too large for her, but her father had forced her to express thanks for it and then he went about riding it whenever he got the chance. Whenever she inquired why he was using her gifts, everyone always informed her that it was more suitable for him. She did not think that was very fair at all. _Why does he get presents on my birthday and his birthday?_ Just thinking about that made the day seem ever worse.

She was stuck in her room until the party started later that night. There seemed to be the fear that if she did not stay in the room, then she would wreck the servants' hard work of making her look like the princess she was. She knew that her father had ordered her to stay locked in too; he knew what she could do to a dress, after all. Everyone knew what she could do to a dress.

The party tonight, she was not looking forward to that either. First, she would have to stay in her room all day, which was no fun because there was nothing to see or do in her room that she had not seen or done already. After that, all night long, she would have to put up with being called things like "the adorable, precious Rose Princess." Her name was not "the Rose Princess," she mentally complained with a tight frown not fitting a child her age.

She was Princess Ileana Angelika Fleurizan, the first child to the all-mighty ruler and King Vladimir Viktor Fleurizan II. She was quite proud of that, even if her father had ordered her to be shut away in her room until his party, which everyone insisted was her party, yet she had no say in it. She had no say in how people addressed her either. So, she would hear the phrase "Rose Princess" and have to deal with it. She figured that one day—when she was an adult and in charge—she would command people to stop calling her that; she puffed out her chest while thinking that. She believed that would work…as long as her father was not around to encourage people to continue to use that dreaded nickname.

She never understood why she had to be called "the Rose Princess." Now, she had been told the reasoning plenty of times, but it seemed so idiotic to her. All princesses of the kingdom took their titles from the most popular flowers in their area because their realm was well known from its flowers and beautiful gardens. The roses from the kingdom were so lovely in recent years that they were one of the main exports of the territory now. So, she had been named after them.

She sighed once again and pulled herself from the small, golden chair that she was sitting in. Her bare feet traveled over the velvet soft crimson carpet on her floor. She had taken her slippers off and flung them out of the window as an act of rebellion. She did make sure to do so after she was alone; she did not want to get scolded.

She marched over to her mirror, looking at herself in the reflective surface that was large enough to be a small pond. She frowned at the person that looked back her. The person that was dressed so formally in a stiff pink and white dress that was covered in embroidered outlined rose designs. The matching shoes were hopefully being chewed up by a cat somewhere on the ground. The dress was made up of several pieces, but there were two main parts to the outfit.

The top part of the dress was like a thin coat, kept secure with small buttons that her chubby fingers had problems opening; this was by design to keep her from removing it. The buttons closed the cloth down her chest to her waist. It flowed down to her feet, almost pooling around her heels, even with the way that the bottom part of the dress bowled out. The top part was smooth, made of the finest silk, as expected for the King's only child. It was white with red roses stitched into it. She might have been able to live with the top if only if it did not have all of those roses on it.

The bottom, dress part of the outfit was another story. The manner that the dress flowed out, losing all sense of what her body even looked like, was actually a bit disturbing to her for some reason that her young mind could not comprehend. She just wanted some sense that she was really in the dress instead of how it seemed like her head was propped up on a dummy. She did know that she hated not being able to see her feet, knowing that was a good way to fall on her face if she decided to do some running or climbing…not that a refined princess such as herself was supposed to engage in such activity.

Her next problem with the dress was that the skirt was mostly light pink. Added to the torturous design were the small roses, red and yellow, stuck to the gown with no real pattern that she could tell. _They're really beating the title with a stick,_ the Princess commented mentally. There had been rose designs littering her sandals too, which only made her happy to be rid of them.

Princess Ileana hurried away from the mirror to avoid having to see herself in the decidedly awful dress. She wore the dress well, even though she disliked it and thought it did not compliment her skin tone well. She had a smooth, milk chocolate complexion, which she inherited from her mother. Her eyes were her favorite feature, a wonderful shade of light brown; a great color since there were no roses that color. Her long raven hair had been curled for the occasion.

Her hair was a feature of hers that did fascinate her, mostly because it was something that she could play with, even at inappropriate times. She did such a thing when the curls were put in her hair only to be reprimanded by her main governess; a woman that looked like her mouth was always full of pickle juice in Ileana's opinion. Just the thought of her caused the Princess to quiver and she had to shake the thoughts away.

Ileana rushed over to her balcony; it was a space the size of a room. There was a short table and mini-chairs set up for her and friends that she did not have. She grabbed one of the chairs and dragged it to the guardrail. She climbed up on the chair with little regard for her birthday dress and partook in her favorite pastime: looking out into the city, Fleuriza, also known as the City of Flowers.

The palace was on a high hill inside of the city, so she had a good view of the metropolis below her, at least from her side of the palace. There were so many colors, mixed and separated. The sight reminded her of a garden, and that was enough to hold her gaze for hours at a time. She also had a good view on one of the many gardens around the palace, which was more of a multi-story villa located in a large park.

Her hazel eyes went right over the gardens and into the city that seemed like a world away, even though she could see it clearly. She could see the make of the city and even some movement, but nothing beyond that; it was almost like watching a trail of ants moving through the garden. She did not know who lived down there, how they lived, or what they did with their time. She had never left the palace before, so she had a hard time imagining what anything could be like outside of her home, but she did like to try.

"Hmm…are there children down there?" Ileana wondered with a longing expression on her face. "Might I be allowed to be with them?" She doubted it because she was not allowed to be with the children that were in the palace.

Most of the children that were in the palace were the offspring of the servants and were servants themselves. It was improper to mix with them, she was always told. She was not sure exactly what was improper about it, but considering the fact that those her age did avoid her, especially if she made an effort to speak with them, she knew that she could not have friends no matter how badly she wanted them.

"Would the people down there speak to me?" she asked the air, which offered no response, as always.

She leaned against the railing, resting her chubby cheek in her somewhat chunky hand. Her eyes went dreamy, staring down into the streets, but her mind did not think of dream to go with the look. She could not imagine how the city was, so she could not daydream about it, only gaze at it with some strange desire and curiosity. She could look off that balcony all day long if given the chance. She just never had the chance.

"Princess?" a voice called that made Ileana's royal blood frost over.

Ileana hurried to get off of the chair, forgetting about the long gown that she was covered in. She ended up stepping on the back of the dress, tugging her downward with the help of gravity. She fell with the unladylike grace that she was becoming infamous for among those that cared for her, which was also accompanied by an almost boyish yowl as she descended. The pained yelp that exited her mouth when she landed did not help matters.

"Princess?" the voice called, closer than before. There was concern in the voice too, hinting that the owner heard all of the noise out on the balcony.

"I'm fine, Miss Olga!" the Princess lied, hoping to scramble to her feet before the pickle-faced woman made it to her.

Ileana was not fast enough and before she could even get her face off of the floor, her main caretaker was standing at the oval-shaped entrance of the balcony. Miss Olga was a tall, thin woman with a nose that was pointy and reminded the Princess of a bird's beak. Her harsh eyes were an almost ice blue and hidden behind thick glasses. Her blonde hair was always tied in a tight bun that seemed to pull her face back, giving her that sour look the Princess thought she should be so well known for.

Miss Olga was wearing her usual royal uniform, which consisted of a long vest-like button-down shirt that was a cool teal color with polished golden buttons. Underneath that, she had a white short sleeve shirt, which matched the dress that covered her legs and fell to her feet, almost dragging. On the left of her vest was the royal coat-of-arms, which showed a shield with flower petals and crossed rapiers. The location of the image and the image itself showed her to be a member of the royal staff.

Miss Olga's ice-colored eyes seemed to ignite when they fell upon the tangled princess, who was on her face and trapped underneath the chair that she had been standing on. The woman's thin lips cut across her face like a knife as a frown formed. Ileana laughed sheepishly as she felt the cold gaze stab at her.

"What are you doing, Princess?" Miss Olga inquired, even though she could guess what the little girl was doing. Her voice was tense, much like her stance, as if her spine was metallic.

"I slipped?" the Princess offered, keeping the sheepish look on her face. Lying was not one of her best talents and most of those in charge of watching her hoped that she never would become skilled at it.

"Out of the chair that you were standing on to look over the guardrail?" Miss Olga surmised in a cool tone from the way her charge was laid out. Her eyes said what her words did not, flashing with disapproval that the child was quite familiar with.

"I would never!" Princess Ileana replied, trying out from underneath the chair, as if that would make her words all the more believable. Her dressed was tangled with the piece of furniture and she only pulled the chair along as she tried to get away from it.

"Really, Princess, we did not ask much of you today. We only needed you to keep the dress in order, Highness," Miss Olga commented with a tired sigh as she approached the scene.

Ileana only chuckled nervously. Her main governess leaned down and picked up the small chair off of her back. The Princess climbed to her feet as gracefully as the situation allotted her, meaning she almost fell over several times before catching her balance. She then stood before the woman in charge of her.

"Highness, you really need to take better care and remember your position. You are the only daughter of our great King and will one day be a great young lady. You cannot do such scatter-brained, brutish things," Miss Olga scolded her in a rather dignified fashion. _Hopefully, you'll live long enough to reach that point_.

"I apologize, Miss Olga. I only wished to view the city," the child explained, motioning to the guardrail while resisting the urge to run back to her spot.

"Understood, but you have other duties that you should be taking care. You are expected to keep that dress in order and you were supposed to be practicing your writing while you were alone. You have done neither of those," the elder female pointed out, keeping her reprimanding tone and her scolding gaze.

"I know. I apologize once again," the Princess said. Her voice made it seem as if she was unaware of her own status and thought that her governess was the all-mighty and highest power in the land. It would not have been surprising if she actually bowed to Miss Olga.

"Apologizing does not get your writing assignments done any faster now, does it? Go to your desk and do your writing before the party gets underway," Miss Olga commanded in her calm, yet bone-chilling voice.

Ileana nodded and dashed back into her room, ruffling the gossamer curtains hanging in the doorway of the balcony. Miss Olga listened as the child's feet touched the bare, tiled floor of the terrace; her feet were not making the correct noise. The adult sighed heavily through her nose and entered the bedroom right after the Princess.

"Highness, where have your shoes gone?" Miss Olga inquired, talking to the child's back since the Princess was at her desk, practicing her writing as she was supposed to be doing all morning.

"They ran away," Ileana answered, keeping her back to her nanny and teacher, but it was clear from her tone that she was smiling and very much wanting to laugh. She was so delighted by her actions that her eyes sparkled as she thought about how good it felt to fling those troublesome sandals over the balcony railing.

"Princess, I must insist that you cease to disregard your footwear. Those slippers were made especially to go with that dress. You were supposed to treat them as well as you treated the dress," Miss Olga pointed out. _Not that the Princess is treating the dress well_ , she thought.

Ileana made a mocking movement with her mouth, as if mimicking Miss Olga as she spoke. The child did keep her eyes on her work while Miss Olga walked off, going to tend to the matter of the missing shoes no doubt. It hardly took the governess thirty minutes to return with the abandoned footwear and a disapproving expression in her stern eyes.

"Please, try not to let them get away from you in the future, Princess Ileana," Miss Olga said as she leaned down to slide the red and white, slightly heeled sandals onto the child.

"Yes, ma'am," Ileana replied with childish submission.

Miss Olga, if she were capable, would have laughed if she ever stopped and thought about the Princess' responses to her. Ileana was so much like any other child, responding to an intimidating authority figure, even if that person was not truly an authority. After all, Ileana was the Princess while Miss Olga was only a servant, but Ileana seemed to think of herself as utterly powerless against her governess. But, that was as it should be, as it helped keep the unruly Princess somewhat in line.

Ileana tended her writing for the rest of the day under the watchful and stern eye of Miss Olga. In the early evening, a servant entered the room to report that Princess Ileana was needed in the main hall because the party was beginning. Ileana was almost happy to hear that because it meant that she could leave her desk, but she was not looking forward to the party either.

"Come, Princess, it is time to get you to your parents," Miss Olga stated.

Ileana nodded and trotted to her door, eager to go to her parents. She had to keep herself from bouncing as she walked the palace corridors with her governess. She entered the main hall with Miss Olga. The hall was void of guests because no one was allowed to enter before Ileana showed up. Ileana's sights went right to her parents, who were at the head of the large, richly decorated hall. She wanted to run to them, but knew that was not proper behavior. She settled for watching them as she slowly approached.

Ileana's eyes mostly focused on her mother, Queen Lucia Melania Fleurizan. Her mother stood out to the child and it had nothing to do with the way the regal woman was almost slouching in her seat. There was just an aura to the Queen that announced her presence to the world, but the Queen did not seem to be aware of it. It was as if she thought that being the way she was was totally natural and it never crossed her mind that things could be any other way, sort of like a tiger basking in her territory.

The Queen had what Ileana heard referred to as an "exotic" look. She did not know what that meant exactly, especially since she took much of her features from her mother. The chocolate complexion came from Queen Lucia as did the eye color. The Queen was taller than the average woman in the kingdom and her hair was naturally curled at the ends while falling almost to the middle of her back; most people in the kingdom had completely straight black or blonde hair. Her hair was odd, as far as everyone else was concerned; it was a mixture of honey blonde and sandy brown. It was streaked that way from her birth. The reason the Queen was "exotic" was because of all of those things, as they were not considered normal where she now lived.

The King, on the other hand, was almost like the perfect specimen of a male in the kingdom. He was six feet tall, not too tall and not too short, with broad shoulders that a royal cape would be proud to be draped over. His hair was jet black, falling to his shoulders, and completely straight, which was where his precious daughter got her hair from. He had a strong jaw line and a sharp nose; sometimes his daughter thought he looked just a little sinister. The goatee that the King had did not help his daughter's thoughts about him looking slightly sinister.

Ileana bowed to her parents when she was before them, as did her governess. They both greeted the King and Queen quite formally, calling them by their titles while wishing them a good evening. Ileana then took her seat between her mother and father. She hoped that she would have a free moment with them before guests flooded into the room.

Ileana looked up at her parents, wanting so desperately to grin at them, but that was not proper. She was just so happy to see them and she wanted to express that for once. Her father kept his eyes locked ahead while her mother did give her a glance and a smile. Ileana could not help beaming thanks to her mother's attention.

"Happy birthday, my child," Queen Lucia said in her melodic, slightly deep, but very rich voice.

"Thank you—" Ileana attempted to respond, but she did not make it passed those two words.

The King cleared his throat, causing the two females to turn forward, almost sitting at attention. The Queen did offer a low apology to her husband, but he waved it off. With that, guests began to come in.

Each guest was announced and made their way to greet the royal family. It was a long, tedious process; both mother and daughter almost fell asleep quite a few times. They were awed by the fact that King Vladimir did not change his expression through the whole thing. The mother and daughter mentally conceded that the King was the best among them when it came to dealing with boring events. It was impossible to tell that he was bored out of his mind, even his eyes revealed nothing going on in his head.

At least when the feast began, the Queen was able to converse with a few noblewomen, but Ileana had no one to talk to. She was not allowed to move from her seat, which was now pulled up to a long table that was covered in food. All she could do was pick at her meal, which she did with almost everything placed in front of her, and wait for presents.

Getting presents was also a long, drawn out procedure because each guest had to bring their gift one by one and make a presentation of the gifts. Most of the items were not something that a five-year-old would be looking forward to, but the Princess noticed that none of the guests were focusing on her when they gave her the presents anyway. Everyone's eyes were on her father; obviously, it was his party, just as she suspected.

Ileana was ready to go to bed by the time an interesting gift was brought up. A servant called the name of Baron Ivan Jarazan and the Baron stepped forth with a servant by his side. The servant was holding a leash, which was connected to a person, a little girl to be more precise, as far as the little Princess was concerned. The Baron and servant bowed while standing before the King and his family.

Ileana did not even notice the action, her eyes glued on the child on the leash. She could not help wondering why the Baron would have a girl collared as she was. The girl was…weird, the Princess thought. Her hair was two different colors, which would not have bothered the Princess much since her mother's hair was almost the same, but the new girl's hair was not mixed in streaks like the Queen's hair. The top of the girl's hair was a crimson red while the back was silky black.

Aside for the hair, another peculiar item about the girl was her eyes. She had golden colored eyes, which Ileana had never seen before in a human being; she had seen them in pictures of cats and dogs, though. The last strange thing was by far the biggest, which were the large triangular ears on top of the girl's hand. The Princess was intrigued; _is she a kitten or a puppy?_ The slender tail that was lying limply behind her suggested that she might actually be a kitten.

"Your Highness, I wish to present the Rose Princess with this pet dog called Rose," Baron Ivan announced with pride. He watched as the King shifted in his seat, leaning forward a little. The Baron wanted to smile. "She is well trained and also does tricks. I am certain that she could be taught many other tricks and provide the Princess with hours of delight," the nobleman continued.

The King nodded to show he understood, but much to the Baron's dismay, the ruler did not request to see what the "dog" could do. A royal servant rushed out to take the leash and led Rose the "dog" out of sight. Ileana's gaze followed the strange girl instead of focusing on the next noble up.

"She looks so sad…" Ileana muttered to herself, still trying to see her living present until her father cleared his throat. She turned back around and looked at the next noble up. Her eyes were on him, but her thoughts were on Rose.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana is troubled when her present Rose is not given to her.


	5. 4: In the doghouse

4: In the doghouse

Ileana was sitting at her desk, working on her penmanship once again. Her governess, Miss Olga, was standing by her side, watching her work and making sure that she went through everything that she was supposed to. Usually, the time would have passed in silence, but something was on the Princess' mind that day, something that could not wait for when she was done with her morning work.

"Miss Olga?" Ileana said with more than her usual poise. She was looking to get answers to the questions buzzing around her mind, so she thought that playing the perfect lady would do her well.

"Yes, Princess?" Miss Olga inquired, eyes glaring down at the paper on the child's desk rather than on the Princess herself. It was as if she thought that if she kept her eyes on the paper, then the girl's work would continue. She thought wrong.

"What happened to that girl that Baron Ivan brought to my party? He said she was mine, but I have not seen her since," the Princess pointed out while slowly—in an almost pretty fashion—folding her hands in her lap, thus ending the work completely for the moment. She then turned her eyes upward to her caretaker, looking so much older than her five years proclaimed. Her eyes always seemed like the eyes of a grown woman, even when she was a baby. Of course, it did not help that most of the time she was expected to act like an adult.

"Oh…" Miss Olga's gaze fell to the side for a moment, faltering from the strength in the Princess' eyes. For a few seconds, the governess felt immense pride, witnessing that her charge was growing stronger and more dignified. Reality set in when she realized the trouble that would bring her in the long run. She cleared her throat to regain her composure. "You should not concern yourself with her," she answered dismissively, brushing it off with a simple wave of her hand.

"Why not? She was to be mine, so I should be allowed to see her. I would like to see her," Ileana explained calmly, making sure to use every manner that had been taught to her since birth. Her birthday had been almost a week ago and she had not seen that particular present since that day, but she had been given the rest of her gifts…if they were truly for her anyway. The wiser nobles knew to bring gifts for her while the less bright had brought things for her father, thinking that would help advance them. As rigid as the King could be, if he said a party was for his daughter, then he expected and appreciated guests bringing things for his daughter.

Miss Olga was speechless for longer than she liked. The language that the Princess used, though impressive and definitely the way she should speak, was a bit unnerving. It was rare for Ileana to sound like the princess that she was and try to look the part in her mannerisms. For the first time, the child seemed to be insistent on a matter in an almost mature way, rather than the typical whining one would expect from a child, so Miss Olga was puzzled on what to do, having never been in the situation before.

The governess knew that she needed to respond thanks to the almost demanding glint in the young hazel eyes locked onto her. So, she cleared her throat ever-so slightly and began to speak. "You cannot see her, yet. There is a procedure that must be followed for these sorts of things," the adult stated calmly with a stern look on her face that ordered her charge to stop asking so many questions. The warning was not heeded; the look was downright ignored.

"How is there a procedure for me to receive my own gift? The others were given to me, so why not this one?" Ileana inquired curiously, voice sounding close to accusing. Her eyes seemed to dare her governess to lie to her, causing the adult to pause for a moment.

"This one is different," Miss Olga answered, edge seeping into her voice with the hope that it would quiet the Princess. It usually worked, but not this time.

"How so? She is mine, like all these other things. She should be given to me." The child's tone pretty much insisted that her gift be given to her. It made absolutely no sense to her that all of her other presents were delivered and in her possession while the one gift that she truly desired was being withheld. It was quite cruel in her opinion.

"You must be patient. Surely you will get your gift soon," the governess replied in a rather flimsy promise. She dismissed the discussion with a stiff wave of her hand.

Ileana's gaze narrowed, as if she believed that she was being told a lie. She did not understand why she had not gotten that gift along with all of her others. She would like that girl around. _Perhaps we could be friends_ , she thought. She would like such a thing. Certainly it would be fun to have a companion, she figured.

"Be patient, Princess. You will get your gift," Miss Olga promised, although she was not sure if that was true. There was a reason the Princess had not gotten the "dog" yet, after all.

-8-8-8-8-

"I cannot believe that fool would give her a dog!" the King roared, pacing inside one of the dens of his wife's many apartments in the palace. He made a sharp about-face to walk back in the other direction. His cape fluttered violently behind him thanks to the turn.

"I think she is quite adorable," Queen Lucia commented with a smile, gently petting Rose. The child was trying her best not to flinch or run, believing that she knew what would happen if she dared to move while being touched by a human.

Rose was standing next to the Queen, who was reclined on a sofa in the lush room. She was watching her husband wear a path in one of her favorite rugs; it was a hand-woven, rich tapestry from her homeland, but he did not seem to care. She hoped that he planned on leaving soon or she was going to say something to him about treading on the carpet with heavy boots. She wished that he and his people could learn to enter someone's living space with no shoes on, as was the custom in her homeland.

"She is a mangy mutt and our daughter should not have to associate with such a beast!" he proclaimed, turning to glare at his wife. His sharp green eyes appeared to want her to burst into flames. He sneered down at her, lip tugged tightly upward toward his nose, and hoped that she washed her hands after touching that wretched beast, but he doubted that she would. _She's a foolish barbarian, after all_.

"We have dog servants," Lucia pointed out in a calm tone, keeping most of her attention on Rose. The girl had very soft, silk hair and it was delightful to touch. She rubbed Rose's ears and noted how much they felt like velvet. She knew that it was fine to touch Rose bare-handed because she had personally ordered that the child being checked for lice, fleas, and other pests. She also made sure the child was thoroughly cleaned, not trusting the lord that had given the gift to take care of that. Rose's teeth and nails were not sharp, so Lucia thought that it was perfectly safe for the girl to go to where she belonged now. Her husband had used those arguments earlier for not sending Rose to their daughter, but now it would seem that he had a new angle to play.

"That has nothing to do with her having a mutt pet. There is a reason I do not want her associating with such disgusting creatures. They are beneath her, as they are beneath us. Yes, we have mutt servants, but none of them deal with us directly and we certainly do not see them on a daily basis. This thing would be with _my_ child. Who knows what the beast could try!" he argued in a heated tone as his jaw tensed so tightly that she thought he might shatter his teeth.

"She seems to be quite tame and well trained. She also has on reins. All we need to do is tell _our_ child the command words and everything should be fine. She could use the companionship," Lucia countered in an even, controlled tone. Her eyes were now on the child near her, standing perfectly still while being petted.

"She will eventually be presented to the noble children and she could make a proper companion from that lot. I will not have our daughter around a mutt. I do not know what they do in your barbarian lands, but here royalty do not mix with dogs," the King growled.

Lucia frowned and growled in a low tone, but she did not snap at him. She turned her nose up to her husband. Rose glanced at her very quickly, taking in what she believed to be odd behavior. The child was waiting for Lucia to attack because of the noise that escaped her and the glint in her eyes. Lucia never moved from the couch, though.

"What is done and not done in my homeland is irrelevant. Now, you have denied our child every chance of company that has ever come up, aside from her being surrounded by servants she does not even require yet. She is bound to be lonely and I can assure you that is quite the terrible feeling. Now, since you are so picky about what her company might say or do in front of her and implant thoughts in her head, Rose would be the perfect companion. Rose is obviously too young to have much of a corrupting influence on Ileana and can be shaped into a mindless drone if that is what you wish. But, if you would prefer to lock Ileana away and watch her slowly go mad until you 'present' her to the noble children when you deem her old enough, by all means, enjoy her contempt," the Queen practically spat in her husband's direction. A sneer tugged at her lips and she did not even bother to hide it.

Vladimir's features tensed more so than before, along with his fist. Lucia's eyes traveled to his hand before looking him in the face, daring him to go through with it. He then sucked his teeth and turned away from her. She smiled smugly, knowing he would never be stupid enough to touch her in a harmful manner or he would have her father's "barbarian" army to deal with. As much as he liked to insult her homeland, they both knew that her country could eat his alive if her father ever decided to be his enemy.

"Troublesome barbarian woman. I do not even understand why I married someone as backwards as you," he commented with venom in his words. His tone showed that he wanted nothing more than to wound her, but his words did little to her, except prove once again how immature he could be.

"Perhaps for the gold and alliance it brought you with my father, but that has little to do with our daughter," she replied in a tight tone while a short sneer twisted her smooth features. "If you are so insistent on not allowing her to keep her dog, then I will send the dog back to the Baron, but I will also begin to visit our daughter. I will not stand for you isolating Ileana for so long," she stated soundly.

"You are not to visit her! You would ruin her good nature with your barbarian ways. She must learn how to be a Fleurizan lady and carry on as her blood demands, her Fleurizan blood. She is carrying on my bloodline, which has ruled these lands for the past three hundred years," he informed her, as if she had never heard the speech before—in fact she had heard it more times than necessary.

Lucia had heard the speech from when their daughter was born up until right then and never failed to think that her husband was full of it for the most part since he seemed to think that she would turn Ileana into a "barbarian." Vladimir did not want her spending time with their daughter out of fear that she would spread her culture onto the child, thus spoiling her for Fleurizan society. She considered he spoke the truth somewhat because she knew that she did not work well in Fleurizan society because her southern culture was so much different from theirs. She did not think that she was a barbarian, but she was very different and it always showed. It went beyond just the fact that she looked different, but also simple things like the way she stood or held a glass or even laughed was different from the way those around her did.

She did not want her daughter to be ruined in her own homeland and have Ileana go through what she went through every day, having to put up with judgmental stares and sneers. She did not want her daughter to have to handle the whispers and not-so-subtle remarks either. So, she stayed away as desired. It hurt, though. It hurt enough for her to know that she could not let Ileana live the lonely existence the child's father wanted to push onto her.

"I will not stand by as you exile her from all of the world aside for tutors and servants. I understand that we come from completely different cultures with different customs, but company will only help our child. I know this and if you deny her this dog, I will spend time with her because she needs someone. You would not be able to stop me," the Queen proclaimed with her head held high. The look in her eyes told him that she spoke the stone, cold truth. If nothing else, she could ease her daughter's loneliness somehow.

Vladimir huffed and it would not have surprised his wife if steam came out of his nose. "You will stay away from _my_ daughter or I will send you home back to your father," he promised her in a cold manner that was reflected in his eyes.

The Queen laughed out loud; it was a rich, throaty sound that floated across the vast room like soft feathers. "You would not send me back, not until I give you that son you need to carry on your line. By your custom, Ileana cannot inherit the throne, after all," she said quite smugly.

Vladimir was now trembling from anger. His face was beyond tense, his eyebrows drawn in so close that they were touching, and his forehead was so furrowed that it looked like there were dunes roaming across his brow. His right arm shook and his fist clenched again. Lucia kept her head up high, as if presenting her chin to him if he honestly wanted to strike her. He took a step next to her like he planned to take her up on her offer, but he wiselt stopped himself after that step. She smiled at him, still petting the child standing next to her.

"The moment that you give me my son, I will send you back to your father," he vowed in a menacing tone.

She laughed again, throwing her head back that time. "What makes you think I have not planned it that way, dear husband?" she inquired, smirking like a sly demon. Her husband made it sound like she was happy with her current circumstances and would suffer should she be sent home; she was not sure why he thought that. The only thing that would pain her when he fulfilled that vow was that he would keep her children. Despite all of her cleverness, she could not see any way around that, so she would have to bear that pain.

The scowl that cut across the King's face probably could have also cut mountains in half from its hardness and edge. His wife rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the "dog" standing by her. She inspected the child, noting her small stature and chubby, almost cherubic features.

"I bet that she is no older than our own dear child. She would make a good companion. And she is even named after our daughter. Obviously, it is a sign that she would be a great friend," Lucia declared with a gentle smile.

"What sign? That fool Ivan named her after our daughter. That is not a sign; it is kissing up," Vladimir countered in a harsh tone. He silently wished that she would just shut up already. "At least that idiot had the presence of mind to make sure this mutt was clean before bringing it in here."

"Once again, you point out irrelevant things. My point is that she would be good for Ileana. Do you agree or not?" Lucia inquired with an almost haughty look on her face. It would seem that the battle was drawing to a close and she was confident on who won. She was actually a bit saddened by the win; she would have loved an excuse to go "corrupt" Ileana.

Vladimir was silent. His gaze fell upon the child, the "dog," _the mutt_. He asked himself, _how could I allow such a beast to be around my child?_ _It was such a lowly creature_ , he thought. The "dogs" that served in the place were so worthless that they were considered slaves for the servants. How could he allow that pathetic animal around his princess, even if the thing did have reins on its wrists and neck? Still, he supposed it was better to have a dumb animal around as a companion for Ileana rather than his cunning spouse, who would undoubtedly fill their daughter's head with backward southern notions that would ruin Ileana for the rest of her life.

 _At least the dog is no worse than having a real dog around Ileana_ , Vladimir silently considered. It was better for Ileana to have the empty-headed "dog" than to be around her strong-willed mother, in his opinion anyway. "Fine, she may have the dog as long as you continue to stay away from her," he conceded.

"I shall as long as she has her dog, so you must promise to not take this dog from her without an extraordinary reason. Nothing petty will do," Lucia bargained. "I need to hear you give your word."

"I will allow her to keep the dog," Vladimir vowed through gritted teeth.

"Then I will continue to stay away from her," Lucia promised, ignoring the pain that shot through her heart and soul.

With the matter settled, King Vladimir hurried out of the room as if it was filling with poisonous gas. Lucia chuckled a bit to herself; _what a man my father has given me away to_ , she thought while shaking her head. She then turned her attention to Rose and ceased her treatment of caressing the girl's head. Rose was close to sighing in relief when that foreign hand left her scalp, but she managed to hold it in. It did not matter that the Queen had the most gentle touch that she had felt from a human; it still disgusted her to be seen as nothing more than an animal to people that she was sure were demons.

"Well, Rose, you will finally get to where you belong. I hope that you are kind and good to my daughter. She needs a friend. She often does these things that show she is crying for attention, so you can now give her what she craves," Lucia said, smiling as she spoke.

Rose was not sure if the woman was speaking to her or not. She knew that sometimes people spoke to themselves and much of the time when she was alone with humans that were talking, they were talking to themselves. She fidgeted on the inside; _am I supposed to respond?_ She did not know and was frightened with what indecision could mean. If she responded and the woman was not talking to her, it would more than likely mean pain. If the woman was talking to her and she did not respond, it would more than likely mean pain. Even if the woman was talking to her, but did not want a response and she responded, it could result in pain. She was thankful to find out that the woman was probably not speaking to her because no yelling or shooting pains followed her lack of response.

Moments later, a servant came to fetch Rose, taking her by the leash attached to her collar. She allowed herself to be tugged and led for what seemed like the millionth time. It did not bother the child much; it seemed normal to her now. Everything that happened to her in the human world seemed normal to her now; her life with her clan was like some dream from long ago.

Rose did not even dare look up as the servant led her away; she had been hit several times for meeting someone's eyes. She did not understand what humans had against eye contact. She recalled being scolded by her mother for not looking people in the eye and now she was being forced to break that habit. Humans were odd creatures, in her opinion anyway.

Her mind stopped wandering as she realized that they came to a halt. She tried to scan the new area with her eyes on the floor, but she could not make out where she was. She was taken back as a girl seemed to suddenly appear before her.

Rose was able to catch a glimpse of the smiling girl's eyes before realizing what she had done. Brown eyes, she noted. Nothing good had come from anyone with brown eyes. In fact, Rose was certain that brown eyes were a warning that the person was a demon in human skin.

"You are shorter than me!" Ileana declared in sheer amazement with a light giggle. It was a first. Everyone was always so much taller than she was and now she was around someone just a little shorter, so it was enough to bring a shining grin to her face.

Ileana's bright expression began to drop as she noticed her guest was nowhere near as amused as she was. She wondered if her outburst was rude. She considered how she felt about being shorter than everyone else and realized that it bothered her, so she reasoned that she probably hurt her guest's feelings.

"Um…sorry about the short comment. Please, forgive me," she apologized and paused for a moment, waiting for some kind of response from the other little girl. Rose did not even make a noise, which did not deter Ileana. Pressing on, she introduced herself. "I am Princess Ileana Angelika Fleurizan and I am delighted to meet you," the Princess said politely, smile still gracing her face.

Rose was still silent as the dead and just as stiff. Ileana's face scrunched up, mouth going upward and to the right while her eyes squinted a bit. She wondered why her guest was not speaking in return and her mouth puckered in a pout. Miss Olga decided to step in when she noted the discouraged and disappointed expression weighing down the Princess's oval face.

"It is quite all right, Princess. This dog more than likely cannot understand what you are saying. It takes a long time to train them to comprehend some of the simplest phrases," Miss Olga said coolly, stepping behind the royal child.

Out of all of that, Ileana seemed to hear one word. "Dog?" she echoed in a confused tone. The girl before her was a dog? It would explain the ears and tail, but her guest lacked fur and stood on two legs. Her guest looked the same as any other person to her, so she did not see how the girl was a dog.

"Yes, a dog. That is the term used for her kind, so she is your pet dog. You can probably teach her simple tricks, but do not think that she will be able to respond to you like a person would or anything of that nature," Miss Olga explained in a calm and plain tone.

Ileana just seemed to deflate even more so, shoulders slumping to hang low with her face. The sorrow was so thick on her that Rose could smell it, but she did not respond to it. Ileana sighed and made her way back to her desk to practice her other studies while Rose was left standing where she was. Things were like that for the remainder of the day until Ileana was supposed to go to bed.

"Princess, I will have someone come remove the dog," Miss Olga stated. She thought that she might be able to remove the dog for good since the Princess did not even look at her since the dog was brought on. Things would be safer that way in the governess' opinion.

"Oh." Ileana glanced at her so-called pet still standing in the center of the room like when she arrived. The Princess' eyes misted over and she considered it. "Maybe…maybe if we leave her there…" She was not even sure what she wanted to say, but her heart was wishing for her gift to be more than what she appeared and her heart was telling her to just be patient. Something good had to come of their meeting, her brain promised her.

"I do not think that is safe," Miss Olga cautioned her charge. She took a glance at the "dog," who had not moved all day, not even for food or a need to use the bathroom. Although the creature seemed docile, she knew there was a chance that the dog could attack the Princess in her sleep. Now, they had informed Ileana that if the dog did anything, she just needed to say a simple word and it would " correct" the dog, but Miss Olga still did not trust the situation.

"Just for tonight, I would like her to stay. She is mine, right? I should be allowed to do with her as I want," the Princess reasoned.

Miss Olga was speechless for a moment. She dared to wonder who was the little girl before her and what had she done with their roguish little princess. Suddenly, Ileana was elegant, articulate, and speaking her mind rather than mindlessly obeying…when people were watching anyway.

"As you wish, Princess," Miss Olga replied to the request…or order. It was hard to tell considering who was speaking to her.

"Thank you, ma'am," Ileana said with a smile.

Miss Olga eyed Rose for a long, hard moment. Rose could feel those ice-blue eyes freezing her spine, so she dared not turn around. She hoped that the woman left the room rather than walked toward her. Her prayers were answered for once. The room was emptied, leaving just Ileana and Rose. the Princess was always left in her room alone to sleep because if servants were placed in there, she would spend the entire night trying to find ways to drive them insane by staying up, moving around, jumping on the bed, asking for all sorts of things, and other shenanigans.

"Goodnight, friend," Ileana called to the so-called dog still standing in the middle of her room.

Silence seemed to be her answer for a long moment. And then she heard a very faint, but distinct "Goodnight." Ileana slept that night with a smile on her face and hope in her heart.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls grow closer and the King doesn't like it.


	6. 5: Intolerable

5: Intolerable

Rose looked at the back of the human that dubbed her "friend." She was watching the Princess' back because she was forced to stand about ten feet away whenever Ileana had educational work to do. Rose made sure to stand perfectly still as ordered, even her tail lay limp behind her; she doubted that she had moved her tail in months. She was even careful about how often she blinked, even though it hurt her eyes to do so. Her breathing was just as controlled, doing it as quietly and as subtle as possible, to avoid offending some human in the room.

Ileana was sitting at her desk, feigning concentration and not feigning it well. She glanced over her shoulder or around her shoulder every few seconds. She was trying to be sneaky about it, but it was very obvious to the adult watching over her, Miss Olga. Miss Olga frowned as the looks became more and more frequent.

"Princess Ileana, if you do not focus on your studies and forget about your dog for a little while, I will have to remove her," Miss Olga stated plainly, gaze unwavering.

Ileana made an "eep" noise and glued her eyes to the desk and paper in front of her. Miss Olga cut eyes back at Rose, which the fox-eared child noticed. Rose gulped and put her golden eyes to the floor. As she felt the frosty blue eyes of Miss Olga burning into her, her heart raced to the point of aching and she prayed to whatever god was listening that the frightening woman lost interest in her.

Miss Olga turned away after a few seconds, but the time seemed like ages to poor Rose and her stressed heart. Rose, although she was not familiar with cardiac arrest, knew that her heart could not take many more scares from the humans before it just exploded in her chest or decided to quit on her altogether. She tried to stand even more still to avoid being glanced at by any other humans; there were some servants milling about the room, doing little chores.

"That is quite the well trained pup," Miss Olga admitted to herself in a tone so low that Ileana could not hear her for the simple fact that Rose stayed out of the way without having to be ordered to do so. The governess then turned her attention completely back to her charge, making sure that Ileana got through her studies.

Rose stood still as a statue for hours, just watching Ileana's back and not really seeing it. She nearly jumped out of her skin as the Princess seemed to appear before her. She did not realize that she had zoned out and that was how Ileana was able to get in front of her. Ileana smiled a bright, warm expression down at her, which actually had the same affect on her heart as when Miss Olga looked at her.

"I am having a snack on my balcony. I would greatly enjoy it if you were to join me, friend," Ileana said in her best elegant and polite voice. She thought that maybe if she used those manners that Miss Olga was always trying to drill into her head, it might help Rose become her good friend.

Rose was too taken aback to respond at first, blinking hard, but not moving anything else at all. She had never heard a request from a human, especially in such a kind tone. She nodded ever-so slightly, so much so that Ileana only noticed the movement because she was standing right in front of the shorter girl. Miss Olga decided to step in when she heard the invitation.

"Now, now, Princess, a lady should not dine with a lowly dog at her table," Miss Olga reprimanded the child, shaking her finger at the Princess.

"But, it is rude for a lady to leave her guest standing while she eats," Ileana retorted with a smile. Oh, she paid more attention to her lessons than Miss Olga would ever know.

"The dog is not a guest," Miss Olga stated, after a few seconds of shock. How was she supposed to know that Ileana actually listened to her lectures on manners, after all? It was not like the Princess made it a point to use any of her advice. _I_ _will have to be more careful around her with the quick way that she throws my words right back at me. She has such a ripe mind_.

"Nonsense! She is my guest!" Ileana declared with a bright smile and she took Rose's hand.

Miss Olga lost all of the color from her face and looked as if she was about to faint from witnessing her charge's actions. Words failed her and it took all of her willpower to not swallow her tongue. Ileana did not seem to notice or she did not care about her governess's plight. She pulled Rose toward the balcony while Rose stared down at the hand that clutched hers so firmly and unashamedly. A red blush actually burned Rose's pale cheeks; she was not sure how long it had been since she had felt an almost friendly touch, a touch that did not make her feel like a thing, a touch that was not meant to harm her in some way. Best of all, she was not being pulled around by that horrible leash.

Ileana led the large-eared child out of the oval-opening that was the entrance to her balcony. She took Rose to the small, personalized ivory table that was carved into rose shapes. The Princess stood Rose to the right of one of the tiny chairs and then went to the other that was opposite Rose. Ileana then motioned to the seat by Rose.

"Please, my dear friend, sit," the young royal requested, unable to control the huge grin that was on her face.

Rose did so automatically, taking the words as an order. Ileana smiled more so and took her own seat, losing all of that elegance for just a moment to be seated faster. She recovered quickly, sitting up straight with her hands in front of her and folded neatly in her lap, not that Rose could see. Rose sat stiff as a board, not wanting to make a mistake with the change in protocol.

"We will have some lovely cakes and sweet tea for a snack," Ileana explained with a cordial smile and happiness shining in her eyes. She was close to bouncing in her seat because of the company. It was her first time having her afternoon snack with someone.

Rose was silent to that news. She did not make a noise as servants seemed to come out of nowhere, placing a small round cake in front of her. Tremors threatened to rip through her body, but somehow the child held herself together until the servants were not next to her anymore. Holding in a sigh of relief, she turned her attention to the food that was now sitting in front of her.

The treat was covered in a thin layer of oozing, liquid-like frosting. Discreetly, Rise sniffed in the cake's direction, gathering information on it in the hopes that it was something that she could stomach. She had learned early on in her stay with humans that there were some things that they ate that she would rather never have to see again. She was not sure if the pastry before her was going to fall into that category.

"It is quite good cake. Please, do not be shy," Ileana urged, holding on hard to the air of elegance that she was using because of her company. It was a difficult task, maintaining that regal aura and also trying not to burst from the joy that was building inside of her.

Rose glanced over at the small, slender fork that was placed on the side of the plate. She was not sure what it was or why it was there. Her clan used spoons and pairs of rounded, fine sticks as eating utensils and the humans that she had previously stayed with had not given her any utensils to eat with. Unsure of what to do, she remained perfectly still, fighting down the urge to cry at the foreignness of the whole situation and fear of getting something wrong. Her body started to tremble, not enough to get noticed, but enough for her to feel like she might fall out of her chair from shaking.

"Is it that you don't like cake? I could have something else brought for you. Perhaps you would like a pudding instead," Ileana offered eagerly and forcing out another large smile, wanting so desperately to please her guest. The expression began to falter, though. A worried look slowly clouded her hazel eyes and she wondered if she was perhaps a bad hostess. She considered that she might have to pay Miss Olga even more mind the next time she started going on about how a lady should behave.

Rose's ears shifted on her head and she looked over at Ileana as best she could without making eye contact. Her face shifted slightly as she tried to make out what tone of voice the Princess was using. Unable to come to a conclusion from hearing alone, she dared to risk looking the other girl in the face. She flinched at what she saw in eyes that she had come to associate with sheer agony.

Ileana appeared crushed and as if she was about to burst into tears. All of that bubbling energy that she had been giving off not even a minute ago transformed into an almost crushing aura of sorrow. Rose instinctively knew that it was her fault that the Princess to seem ready to bawl.

Rose's mind fumbled for a way to correct what she had done and not out of fear. A pain crept into her from knowing that she had harmed the friendly, smiling human before her. Without thinking, her hand took the fork, as she saw Ileana using it to eat, and she broke off a piece of cake. She quickly devoured the small bit of food, silently hoping that would cure what was ailing the Princess.

Ileana's hazel eyes widened as if she was surprised by the sudden actions. A smile tugged at her lips, but did not take form until she noticed her guest going in for another bite of cake. Ileana was able to turn her attention back to her snack now that she saw her company was eating. The Princess was also able to put back her elegant air, even though she was starting to notice her guest was not paying that any mind.

"You should also try the tea. It's very good," Ileana recommended, nodding toward the small, delicate cup near Rose's dish. The cup was porcelain cut in the shape of a rose and colored in the same image. She hated the set because of that, but did not even think about it at the moment.

Rose glanced down and then reached for her cup. She had to take a deep breath before picking it up, needing a steady hand to avoid any accidents that could result in minor burns. She was able to lift the cup without it shaking in her hand and she took a rough sip, slurping loudly. Ileana held back a giggle, having never heard someone drink so loudly.

The large-eared child tense for a moment as the drink hit her tongue. She forced it down because of joyous sparkle in the Princess' eyes. She was happy to return the cup to its proper place and then turned her attention to her cake. She broke off a huge piece of cake hoping to get the taste of that drink out of her mouth.

"I love this tea. I usually have it with all of my snacks. I hope you love it too!" Ileana declared, unable to hold back her grin. She was almost radiating her happiness in visible rays.

Rose, unable to combat against the pure bliss coming from her host, drank some more tea. She knew that her stomach would be able to handle it; it had gotten tougher thanks to her stay with those other humans. She could not help wondering about the girl before her, though. _Why does Ileana seem so pleased?_ No other human seemed so upbeat and cheerful with her presence in the way that Ileana did, but she suspected it had to do with that word "friend."

The term "friend" was new to Rose's limited vocabulary as far as the human's language went. She figured if she was left around Ileana long enough, she might gain some understanding as to what it meant. So, she made a promise to herself that she would pay close attention to the taller girl, especially since the term did not seem like a bad thing if all of the smiling meant anything.

Ileana smiled through the whole snack, even though there was no conversation between her and her company. She tried to eat slowly, hoping to savor the moment, but Rose was taking big hunks of cake and she was finished quickly. Ileana, having been told that it was rude to eat at a snail's pace when guests were finished with their food, finished her cake as quickly as she could without getting cake crumbs on her.

Ileana noticed that her guest did not mind getting cake crumbs and even frosting on her face. Ileana could not help it; she giggled lightly, earning a puzzled expression and noise from Rose. The Princess laughed a little more because of Rose's expression with her mouth curled up to the left side, her eyebrows furrowed up, and her ears leaning forward, toward the merry sound coming from the royal child.

"Could someone please clean off our guest?" the Princess ordered. It was only an order because she was the Princess because, really, her demeanor made all of her commands mere suggestions or requests to careful ears.

A servant hurried to do as the Princess asked. Rose flinched as the young woman came near her, but she made sure to keep still after that. She watched as best she could without making eye contact. The cleaning was not very gentle as the servant just sort of clawed down her face. Rose was tempted to pull away from the treatment, but stayed her ground as the cloth wiped away the food.

With the snack done, the two girls went back to the way they were before. Ileana found the work to be even more annoying now than before. Hazel eyes tried to look at her new friend, which only made her eager to grab the girl and go play somewhere. She fidgeted in her seat, moving from side to side, and earning a stern glare from Miss Olga seconds into the actions. The glare only worked for a few minutes before Ileana was back to moving and glancing over her shoulder.

"Princess Ileana, if your actions do not cease, I will have the dog removed," Miss Olga stated with her usual seriousness.

Ileana's back went stiff, as if ice shot down her spine. She turned her attention back to her desk, working her calligraphy brush on the paper as she was supposed to. She managed to resist the urge to turn around for the rest of the day.

Rose remained standing in the place that she had been all day. She watched Ileana and her anxious behavior. She wondered why the Princess seemed to want to move about so much. _Why does she—Ileana?—keep trying to look at me_ , the fox-eared child pondered. She did not come up with a valid answer despite having hours to think about it.

"All right, Princess. It is time for supper. We cannot keep your parents waiting," Miss Olga said as the light from the setting sun flooded the room with fading light. Ileana slowly pushed herself away from the desk and climbed to her feet.

"All right. Please, come along, my friend," Ileana invited Rose, turning to the other girl and holding her hand out for the smaller child.

Miss Olga blanched at the very idea. She was about to raise her voice, but she quickly remembered who her charge was. Still, she had to put a stop to such barbaric talk from the Princess.

"Princess, you have to understand, it is not proper for you to eat with your dog," Miss Olga said patiently.

"Nonsense! My friend and I have already had cakes together. I would like her to meet Mother and Father. Come along, friend," Ileana insisted and she took Rose's hand.

Ileana took determined strides out of the room and down the lavishly decorated corridor, tugging Rose all the way. Miss Olga protested all the way to the dining room, but Ileana did not listen. The King and his wife noticed their child as soon as she came in and they also noticed who she was dragging along with her. A second after the children entering, Miss Olga came in. She directed her attention to the reigning couple and bowed to them as soon as she was in the hall.

"I am truly sorry for this, your Highnesses. I was attempting to warn the Princess that it is improper for her to bring such a creature in your presence," Miss Olga explained in a humble tone, silently hoping that she was not going to be fired—or worse—for such outlandish misconduct on the part of her charge.

Ileana was nowhere near done being improper. She ignored Miss Olga's presence altogether and marched Rose over to her parents. She proudly stood next to the shorter girl and smiled up at her parents, who looked more than a little confused by what was going on.

"Mother, Father, I would like to introduce you to my dearest friend, Rose," Ileana said, unaware that her parents had already made the smaller child's acquaintance.

The King was so outraged by his daughter's behavior that he could not even speak. His face just started turning a bright red and a vein in his neck and one on his temple bulged. Lucia glanced at her husband and shook her head, hoping that his head was about to explode since it looked like it might. She then turned her attention to the two girls, an amused and pleasant smile adorning her elegant face.

"I hope that you two do become the best of friends," the Queen declared merrily. Her eyes seemed to twinkle, making her words more than sincere.

"This is unheard of!" Vladimir finally hollered, shooting to his feet. He pounded the long, wooden table with heavy fists, causing all three ladies near him to jump. "Ileana, you will get that filthy beast from our presence this instant!" he commanded in a roar. He vein in his neck started making its presence known because of how loud he was shouting.

The King expected to be obeyed immediately, but was in for the second shock on the night. Ileana looked at him with huge hazel eyes as tears filled her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered and everyone but Vladimir knew what was coming next. Ileana burst into loud sobs.

"Yes, those are keen fathering skills you have there, dear," Lucia commented sarcastically in a whisper, cutting her eyes to her husband to give him a disapproving look that he ignored.

"Ileana, cease that infernal noise! You are the Rose Princess! You will act accordingly," Vladimir commanded, pointing a commanding finger at his daughter.

"Why would you say such mean things about my friend?" Ileana demanded to know through a powerful sob. She went so far as to stomp her foot; a move that she knew was not lady-like and had never done to her father. "We don't want to eat with you anyway!" she proclaimed.

The royal child grabbed Rose's hand, much to her father's disgust and anger, and stormed off, tears flooding down her chubby chocolate cheeks like two raging rivers. Vladimir roared for his child to return, but she did not listen. Miss Olga's expression dropped into a confused and panicked look, wondering if she should chase down the Princess. Her eyes followed Ileana and then went to the King before they went back in Ileana's direction. She decided after a few seconds to go after the child.

"Ileana, get back here right now!" Vladimir roared, not sure why the tactic had not worked the first time. His eyes blazed with fury that anyone—especially his child—would disobey him.

"Haven't you figured out yet that yelling at her is not going to work in this particular instance? You insulted her friend," Lucia pointed out plainly, voice even and calm despite the highly charged situation.

"A dog is not the friend of my only child!" he bellowed, turning to glare at his wife with near hatred in his hard eyes.

"Tell that to your only child, if she wishes to speak to you again anyway," Lucia replied with a half-smirk on her face. Her hazel eyes sparkled from amusement, making her look much like an imp.

Vladimir snarled, but sat back down, recognizing that he had not handled that in the best fashion if Ileana actually fled their presence. Typically, their daughter was pleased to be around either of them, as they did not see her more than once a day and that was generally at the evening meal. He took a few calming breathes and then beckoned a servant over with his hand.

"Retrieve my daughter and her pet. Report to her that the beast can stand behind her while she eats," Vladimir ordered through gritted teeth and the servant dashed off to do his bidding.

Lucia giggled a little. The King frowned and arched an eyebrow, silently ordering that she cease that noise and explain herself. She decided to indulge him for once.

"I hope you do not think she will agree to that. Did you not see her passion and joy in regards to her 'friend.' She used the word 'friend.' She did not say 'beast' or 'dog' or even 'pet.' She is going to want you to respect her new friend," Lucia explained why she was laughing.

"That creature is just a pet and her young mind cannot distinguish the two. She will learn soon enough if we train her by example in regards to how the mutt should be treated. So, you need to stop pretending that mutt is a person first and foremost," Vladimir informed her soundly, pointing an authoritative finger at his wife.

Lucia rolled her eyes, which was her response. Her husband was very aware that she was going to do what she wanted to, as she always did. She turned away from him and focused on the far end of the dining hall while thinking about how well Ileana had taken to her birthday gift.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana and Rose had made it back to the Princess' bedroom. Ileana was still weeping hard, looking frantically around her room; it was as if she did not know what to do with herself. Rose watched, sorrow starting to fill her eyes. Rose could almost feel Ileana's distress and it touched her.

The shorter child hesitated for a second, moving her hand a little. She was considering moving without permission because seeing the Princess, who had done nothing but smile since she met the regal child, now bawling was deeply troubling. A discomforting pressure built in her tiny, narrow chest. She quietly decided that she disliked the feeling and felt that she knew what needed to be done to rid herself of it.

Rose took a deep breath before she reached out her hand, grabbing Ileana. She hoped that she had not crossed the line as Ileana turned to her, eyes still pouring like a storm. Rose then stepped closer to the Princess and slowly hugged her, almost as if she did not know what she was doing.

"I'm sorry about my father, my friend," Ileana sniffled as she latched onto Rose to return the embrace. She did not even notice how Rose touched her with caution; the Princess was just happy to have someone care, to have someone to hold her, and to have someone to comfort her.

"It's okay. Just don't cry," Rose replied in a whisper.

Ileana was about to wail another lament, but quickly clammed up as she realized something weird just happened. She pulled away from her friend enough to look the other girl in the eye. She tried blinking away her tears and she forced out a smile.

"I knew you could talk," Ileana accused her friend in a teasing tone.

Rose gave a thin, small smile and reached out a hand to wipe away Ileana's tears. She was about to respond when Miss Olga burst into the room. The older woman locked on the two girls and noticed Rose's hand to Ileana's cheek. She immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Do not dare touch her, you filthy mutt! Get away from the Princess!" Miss Olga ordered, charging over to the pair.

Rose recognized that tone and that glare from other humans, so she released the Princess as quickly as possible and backed up. Miss Olga continued backing Rose down and screaming at her to leave the Princess alone until the child hit the wall. Rose whimpered and curled into a protected ball, thinking that she was about to be punished severely.

"Stop it, Miss Olga! You are scaring her!" Ileana objected with a furious glint in her eyes as she ran over to stand between her caretaker and friend.

Miss Olga was taken back by the Princess' sudden appearance in front of cowering girl. She was also shocked by the fierce protective expression in Ileana's strong gaze. Backing away, the governess was saved from what she was almost sure would be a sound tongue lashing from the child as the servant that the King sent off knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Ileana called because her governess was speechless at the moment.

"The King orders that the Princess return for supper. He has graciously decided that her pet may stand behind her while she eats," the servant reported.

"No! I will not eat with him if he will not allow my friend to sit at the table and if he will not speak to her properly," Ileana replied sharply. "Tell him that," she added in a harsh tone. Those words allowed her governess to recover her voice.

"Princess, you cannot deny your father," Miss Olga objected.

"I am. He must learn to treat my friend better. As should you. I will take my supper in the room with my friend. If she does not eat, then I will not eat," Ileana stated with a stubbornness that people were used to in small doses, but not in such a strong manner as of now. It reminded Miss Olga of the King and the servant delivering the King's message was sent on his way with those words.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was able to get her way, mostly because her father thought that it was just a phase that she was going through. He was certain that she would tire of her "pet" soon enough and everything would go back to normal. That night, Rose ate the best meal that she had had since the death of her mother and she could not help smiling at Ileana for making it happen.

"I hope everything was to your liking," Ileana said, which got a nod from Rose.

After dinner, Ileana was bathed, as was Rose. Even bathing, Ileana insisted that Rose stay with her, which was one of the reasons why Rose was cleaner than she had been since coming into the human city. After those things, it was not surprising that Ileana wanted Rose to stay in her room that night and to avoid having Ileana actually sharing her bed with Rose, Miss Olga ordered a small couch brought into the room for Rose to sleep on. With that done, Ileana and Rose were left alone for the night.

"Rose, are you asleep?" Ileana called in a whisper, hoping that her friend heard her.

"No…" Rose answered in a whisper of her own.

"Do you think we could stay up and talk a little?" Ileana requested, sounding quite shy with her question. She noticed that Rose did not say much of anything during the day and she really would like it if they had a conversation.

"…I would…" Rose admitted in her own bashful manner, eyes focused on the ground, even though the room was dark.

"Great. Perhaps we should move closer. There are usually people standing out my door and if they hear me talking or moving about, they will come in and remind us that we should be asleep," the Princess explained. She learned this after several nights of trying to play with her toys in the dark.

Rose nodded, even though Ileana could not see, but the smaller child did not know that. She stood and turned her head toward Ileana, who jumped in shock. There were two glowing white orbs coming toward her and then she realized those were Rose's eyes.

"Hey, your eyes glow in the dark," Ileana said in amazement.

"Yours don't?" Rose asked curiously. She thought that it was normal for eyes to glow in the dark.

"No, I have never seen anyone's eyes do that before. You are truly an interesting person. Here, come sit, so we can talk," Ileana said, sitting up and moving over so that her friend could sit on her bed. Rose took her up on that offer and climbed onto the large bed.

The pair settled into comfortable sitting positions. Ileana rested her back against her many pillows while Rose sat with her back straight and her legs folded underneath her. The way Rose was sitting looked like it hurt a little to Ileana.

"I am glad you are here and you are my friend," the Princess said, just to make sure it was clear. Besides, she felt like if she did not say it, then she would explode from keeping it bottled up inside of her.

"It's nice here," Rose said in a whisper, sounding quite shy. Her tone and demeanor only served to put a smile on her new friend's face. Her tail swayed a little when she noticed the happy expression.

"I am so glad that you like it! I promise that I will make it as nice as possible!" Ileana vowed. She never wanted her friend to leave, after all.

Rose dipped her head a little from that statement. Ileana peered down, trying to catch her companion's expression. It seemed like Rose wanted to smile, even though the expression did not grace her features. Ileana smiled for her and the first thought that crossed her mind was that Rose was adorable.

"We will have a lot of fun together," the Princess promised.

"Fun?" Rose echoed as if she did not know what that was.

"Yes, we will. I will see to that. So, Rose, tell me about yourself. I like your ears and your tail. Can you move your tail like your ears?" Ileana asked curiously. She had not noticed the furry appendage move a few seconds ago.

Rose did not respond verbally. Ileana yelped in surprise as she felt something furry tickling her chin. She realized that it was her friend's tail. She giggled and reached out to touch the tail without thinking. Rose did not seem to mind.

"So, it is real," the Princess muttered in amazement, running her fingers along the slender attachment. "Real and soft."

"Yeah…" Rose mumbled.

Ileana smiled and she continued petting the tail. "So, tell me about yourself. Why are you so quiet?"

Rose shrugged a little. "It's best to be quiet."

"Well, I hope you are not quiet with me. I want us to always talk. I really like you," Ileana declared. The words almost got a smile from Rose; her mouth ticked, but the expression did not come.

"I'm glad," Rose said honestly. She hoped that she ended up really liking the Princess. Right now, she did like the taller girl, but she was not ready to make the jump to think that she would always like Ileana. Humans were not to be trusted.

Ileana grinned and continued the conversation going. They spoke through out the night. The Princess kept asking Rose about herself, but she also made other inquires after that. She was sort of overwhelming Rose with the desire to get to know her, but Rose stuck it out, just pleased to be treated as if she was an equal with someone for the first time in a long time.

In the morning, Rose found herself in trouble as she was caught sleeping on the Princess' bed. Ileana once again defended her friend while Rose cowered behind her, thinking that someone might speak the words that caused her great pains. The words did not come, but Rose never stopped expecting them.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Just as the girls become closer, they are separated.


	7. 6: Lead a dog to water

6: Lead a dog to water

The friendship that King Vladimir had callously described as a "phase" that his daughter was going through with her "pet dog" Rose had not subsided after two years, as he had been swearing it would. Ileana stayed as attached to Rose through those years as she had the first day Rose had been brought to her room. He did not understand the attraction, but chalked it up to childish innocence and ignorance. Although, the intensity of things from his daughter's end sometimes seemed a bit unnerving and bordering on disturbingly obsessive in his opinion. He thought that his poor first child did not know that Rose was just a filthy mutt that was not worth her time, but he had faith that she would learn differently one day. He liked to believe that his daughter had a good head on her shoulders since she was _his_ child.

Rose still shared Ileana's room, but it was clear that it was improper for them to sleep in the same bed. A comfortable, plush sofa had been placed in the room for Rose to sleep in. It was far away from the Princess' bed and it had been designed to be too heavy for the girls to move on their own. Of course, that did not stop them from trying plenty of times, even now after it had been in the room for two years. Of course, they failed each time that they tried.

In fact, the two girls had attempted to move the couch just last night. They found out what they already knew—the sofa would not be moved. They wore themselves out with the attempt, which would explain why the servants were having a more difficult time than usual getting Ileana out of her bed.

Rose typically woke up whenever someone entered the room; it made for a troubled rest when people decided to check on Ileana more than once a night. She watched from her resting place, hiding her face in her pillow and covering herself completely with her blanket to insure that she was out of sight, as the servants tried to get the Princess out of bed. She resisted the urge to snicker, which was a constant when she watched scenes like the one before.

"Go away…" Ileana grumbled, swatting at the servants, but not really hitting anyone. She was certain that she and Rose had only gone to bed a couple of hours ago, so surely it was too early to get up. Of course, her timing was way off; she and her friend had about seven hours of sleep.

"You have to get up, Princess. Breakfast will soon be served and Miss Olga will be coming for you afterwards," a servant girl explained, basically pleading with the royal child to get out of bed. It was about all she and the other four servants could do because they were too scared to touch her in fear that they might cause her some discomfort or blemish. The King would have their heads if they did such a thing.

"Go away…" Ileana repeated. "Go away or I'll tell Rose to bite you," she threatened, turning away from them, burying her head in her pillow.

Rose buried her head in her own pillow to avoid laughing, even though she was pretty sure that she would at least consider biting them if Ileana requested it. Both girls knew that the servants thought of Rose as a dog—a trained beast—so the girls guessed that they might take the threat seriously. Rose poked her head back up after the desire to chuckle left her to see that the threat did not get the servants to back off. Ileana was still putting up a fuss about getting up.

 _This is more than she usually does…_ Rose silently noted. Ileana was always tough to get out of bed, but she would get up after a few minutes. Today, she seemed intent on staying in her bed. _I wonder if it's because of Miss Olga saying things were gonna change today_.

Miss Olga had informed Ileana yesterday, as well as a few other days, that things were going to change for her now that she was seven years old. She and Rose had lost sleep for several nights wondering just what that meant. They never came to a proper conclusion, but they knew that today was the day that they would find out. They had a bad feeling about it.

"Princess Ileana," Miss Olga chided in a sharp tone as she stormed in. Pressure in the room seemed to increase just from her added presence.

 _Speak of the devil_ , Rose thought while burying her head in her pillow, trying to appear sleeping. _Quiet and out of the way_ , she told herself. That was how she managed to keep from getting screamed at most of the time, so it was her private mantra as well as life practice.

"No," Ileana groaned, waving Miss Olga off. The governess frowned deeply, her thin lips pressed together so tightly that they almost seemed to disappear.

"Princess Ileana, if you do not rise right this instance and get ready for the day, I will have Rose removed from your company for the day," Miss Olga stated with heavy conviction. A little rumble in her chest let her know that she was bothered about the tactic she was using, but she knew that she needed to get the Princess up.

Ileana shot up from bed as if there was a spring in her back. "You wouldn't! You couldn't!" she objected loudly. Her entire face scrunched up with panic as she squinted her eyes and her mouth trembled with fear. Tension in her neck made her look like she was in pain.

"I could and I would. All I have to do is say that it is in your best interest to focus on your studies and Rose will be forced to go somewhere else for the rest of the day until you return here for sleep," Miss Olga explained calmly. Nothing about her seemed to be moved by her charge's panic as her body and face remained completely impassive.

Ileana scowled, her eyes seemed to darken and that made the glare that she was throwing Miss Olga that much worse. The look did not shake Miss Olga and she stood firm, waiting for her charge to get moving. Ileana flung her blankets from her body as if they were the ones that she was upset with. Immediately, Rose followed suit, hopping out of her bed. She trotted to her friend's side.

"Good morning, Rose," Ileana greeted the still shorter girl with a smile.

In response, Rose smiled back, which was just as good as "good morning" coming from her. Rose made it a point to stay quiet, even when Ileana was speaking with her, if other people were around. Even after two years in the palace, Rose was cautious and mistrustful of humans and she did not want to do anything that might set one of them off.

Ileana took her friend's hand and held it tightly in her own. This was normal behavior for them. Miss Olga, even after a couple of years of witnessing such behavior, still had to fight back the urge to shout at the Princess for such inappropriate behavior in regards to her "friend." She wondered why the Princess had not figured out yet that Rose was nothing more than a pet, a filthy dog, and nothing more. It was not like the Princess was stupid and this seemed like such a simple concept to understand. Yet, Ileana continued to treat Rose as if she was the greatest person to exist.

Ileana and Rose went through their morning ritual, which involved being bathed by servants and then dressed. Ileana talked through out the process, speaking to Rose and making the servants just a bit uncomfortable. To the servants, Ileana talking to Rose was like she was talking to herself because Rose never answered back. In fact, they were all very sure that Rose—like any other dog—could not speak at all. The servants often exchanged worried glances, thinking that there might actually be something wrong with the Princess.

Ileana was placed in a dress and matching slippers—typical for her. Rose's outfit was much simpler than her friend's attire. The "dog" was placed in an over-sized dark blue shirt that hung off of her small frame awkwardly and that was all. Rose was not even given something to cover her feet; Ileana wished that she was so lucky. The servants would rather not have to touch Rose, but Ileana basically made it clear that Rose to be given similar treatment to herself or the Princess scold whoever disobeyed to the point of tears almost.

Once cleaned and dressed, the pair was escorted to the dining hall to eat breakfast. The King and Queen were waiting for them, as always. Ileana—always the talkative one—greeted her parents with a happy grin and a bright cheer of "good morning." Only her mother responded in kind.

Ileana locked eyes with her father. Vladimir stared hard at the child, still trying to will her to obey him—she knew that. She smiled at him, almost as if she was laughing, mocking him. Her eyes challenged him, demanding to know who he was to think that she would abandon her precious friend or dare to treat Rose like an animal. He scowled deeply, but did not take any real action, not wanting to deal with the headache just yet.

The two friends sat far from the royal couple. The distance was for three out of four of the people in the room. Ileana had no desire to be close to her father, knowing that he was just going to complain about Rose being at the table and insult her friend with every word that left his mouth. Vladimir enjoyed the distance, feeling less like he was suffering from Rose's presence. Rose just disliked being near any human unless the human was Ileana.

Breakfast was eaten in silence, and that was normal for them. Queen Lucia finished first and had no intention of sitting there, looking at the walls, so she stood up, revealing her slightly swollen abdomen. She had to take a breath, still not quite used to rising with the extra weight. She put her hand on her lower back for a moment and then made her way out of the room. As she walked by Rose and her daughter, she mussed Rose's hair. The child did not seem to mind the Queen's actions because she was used to it by now; it happened every breakfast. Lucia smiled at both girls and patted Ileana affectionately on the shoulder.

"Have a good day, and do not let things get you down," Lucia said, seeming to be speaking to both of them.

The girls did think that was a strange thing to say. They always had a good day as long as they were together. It was rather hard for things to get them down when they were together if everything was normal.

"You have a good day too, Mother," Ileana said in a bit of an unsure tone while Rose just nodded, basically her way of repeating the Princess.

Lucia did not respond and made her way out of the hall. She would not have been surprised if she had heard screaming the second that she left the room, but she suspected that they all preferred to continue ignoring each other more than anything else. _Stubbornness probably runs in the family_ , she thought about her husband and daughter. She hoped that was the only thing her daughter had in common with the King.

The tension in the dining hall did increase quite a bit as soon as the Queen left. The atmosphere felt almost crushing and nothing even happened. Vladimir made it a point to glare at his daughter, as if that would get her to bend to his beliefs regarding Rose. Ileana pretended not to notice the look and her father eventually went back to his meal. Rose just paid attention to her meal or the Princess if Ileana did anything.

Ileana tried to eat faster than she was before, especially since Rose was almost done. She did not want Rose to have to be in the room any longer than necessary; not that she wanted to be there any longer than necessary either. The Princess really wanted to get out of the room before her father decided to speak to her, but she was not quick enough.

"Ileana, I hope you enjoy your new lessons," Vladimir said, a smirk tugging wickedly at his top lip.

Ileana craned an eyebrow, turning her head to pay her father some mind. "New lessons?" she echoed in a puzzled tone. She could not help wondering what he was going on about and why his face was almost twisted in a sinister way. In the pit of her stomach, she could feel bile rising thanks to her father's expression.

"Oh, yes. You have not been informed about your new lessons yet?" the King asked as if he did not know that. He was the one that wanted to tell his daughter about the new lessons she would have to undergo, so of course she had not been informed yet.

"No one has said anything," Ileana answered, glancing off to the side. She wondered if the new lessons were the reason that Miss Olga kept telling her that things were going to change. _What would make the new lessons so different from the old ones?_

"No? Today you start new lessons along with the basic lessons that you receive from Olga. You will have tutors to go over world history with you as well as cultures of neighboring countries. You have to get familiar with the world as you will soon be dealing with people from all over the planet. You will also take language lessons," Vladimir stated and he would have continued, but she chimed in.

"Will I get to learn Mother's native tongue?" Ileana asked curiously, almost eagerly. Her eyes lit up from the thought. She had once heard her mother speaking her native language and thought that it sounded beautiful, like singing. She would love to know how to speak such a wonderful, sweet language.

"You will not need to know that barbaric language," he answered almost as if he was insulted that she would make such an inquiry. "Miss Olga will continue with your writing, math, and manners. You will have tutors for other subjects, though. Because these lessons are vital to your future, you will need your maximum concentration. Your pet will not be allowed—" he was cut off before he could finish.

"Her name is Rose and she will stay by my side," Ileana interrupted him in a firm tone and a determined glint in her eyes.

"No, she will not. You are to be alone for these lessons because they deserve all of your attention," Vladimir stated resolutely. His hard eyes tried to drill into his daughter, but her will refused to be shaken by him.

"Then what will happen to Rose?" Ileana demanded in a rather controlled manner, keeping air of royalty, even in her anger. She almost sounded like her father.

"She will be given a place," he replied, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

"And when will we be returned to each other?" the Princess continued her line of demands.

Vladimir was thrown by the question for the simple fact that his daughter made it seem as if her "dog" owned her as much as she owned the "dog." Further annoying him was the fact that she did not just accept what he said as anyone else would do. A tight, rigid frown cut across his face immediately. He could only wonder where she got such insane ideas. He knew that her governess was not teaching her such things and she did not interact with her mother enough to allow for Lucia to poison her mind. The "dog" could not speak much from what he knew, so he could not figure out where or how Ileana came up with such strange notions.

"That does not matter at the moment. Make sure you learn your lessons well," the King ordered his daughter in a rigid, no-nonsense tone. The look in his eye commanded that she listen to him; she did not comply well.

"I will not do anything until you tell me when we will be returned to each other. I also wish to know what place Rose will be given if she is not by my side," Ileana countered in a strong voice of her own.

Vladimir frowned even deeper, his eyes hardening with each passing second and a vein popped out from his temple. He would have been proud of his child's stance if only she was not standing against him. He recalled when she used to falter to servants as if they were her betters, but now, she was growing stronger each day. It was good that she was getting used to exerting her will, but, of course, he felt that she was overstepping her boundaries at the moment. Ileana was not thinking anything of it, just wanting to stay with her friend.

"I will not bother with finding a place to your pet. You will take these lessons without your dog and you will learn them well. This is not something to be argued," he stated in a tone that he closed negations with diplomats.

Ileana glared at her father with such intensity that it almost made him flinch. His mind did wonder how a child—a little girl—could possess such a look, especially at such a young age. He held in his decision and returned her glare, letting her know that he was done with the subject. She snorted, much like an angry bull. She grabbed a hold of Rose's hand.

"Come on, we're going," Ileana declared and hopped off of her seat. Rose followed suit, not really having a choice since Ileana did have her hand. The Princess then pulled the smaller girl out of the room. "I cannot believe him! New lessons indeed! He just wants to separate us from each other!" the taller girl hissed. Her face was tense and she scowled as she spoke.

"Perhaps it's not so bad," Rose whispered, her voice weak and low.

"How can you say that?" Ileana inquired in shock, stopping to look down at her dearest friend. Her eyes searched those precious golden orbs of Rose's to try to read her mind. "You do not wish to be with me anymore?" the dark-skin girl asked in a trembling voice. Her eyes misted over, tears already waiting to spill if her friend confirmed her question.

"That's not it. You fight him so much, but I don't think he's going to move on this one. We need to believe that we can get through it, though," Rose explained, looking down at the floor. She felt some shame, causing her friend such distress.

Ileana reached down and cupped Rose's face. She lifted the fox-eared girl's face up, so that they were locking eyes again. They both smiled a bit; Rose's smile was a tiny little expression, but it widened Ileana's smile whenever she saw it.

"You know I hate it when you talk while looking down. I was told never to look down when speaking with someone," Ileana pointed out. She thought that whenever Rose looked at the ground, she was being bashful for no reason. She believed that Rose should be confident; after all, in her opinion, Rose was an amazing person. Rose's tail swayed slowly behind her, almost like it was nodding for her.

After a few seconds, Rose nodded to show that she understood, but she still remembered her training from when she was first introduced to the human race. She was never supposed to look anyone in the eye. She was never supposed to speak unless spoken to. If those rules were broken, she recalled the pain that they could subject her to. She did not like to talk about the memories, the training, and the way that humans treated her, so Ileana did not know what she had been through. Whenever she was with Ileana, she just desired to enjoy the way that the Princess made her feel, completely different from everyone else.

"I'm sorry," Rose apologized, sounding quite ashamed. Her eyes reflected her feelings.

"Do not be sorry, just stop doing it. You do not have to be shy, especially around me. I worry what you will do in this 'place' they have for you. Do not let them bully you while I am having my lessons," Ileana said, her voice pleading with her timid companion. She disliked that Rose allowed people to push her around. She hoped that one day soon the shorter girl stood up for herself.

Rose nodded again and Ileana released her. They returned to the Princess' room, where Miss Olga was waiting for them with an impatient gaze in her eyes. The girls knew the look well and ignored it completely.

"Princess, you will accompany me to the study," Miss Olga commanded through gritted teeth. She was standing stiffly with her hands balled into fists from tension in her body. _The Princess is going to be the death of me if she does not mind herself better in front of her father_. Miss Olga was hand-picked by the King for her position thanks to a number of talents she possessed, so she knew that any failure of hers could eventually be taken personally by him, so she could eventually lose her head because of Ileana. She tried not to think of that, though. Much.

"And where will Rose be while this is going on?" Ileana demanded to know, stomping her foot a little and pointing at the ground. She was tired of the silent game in regards to where her best friend was going. She was not doing anything until she knew what was going to happen to Rose.

"Someone will take charge of your dog," Miss Olga said, rolling her eyes. She almost let out a snort, but thankfully held it in.

"Her name is Rose! Where will she be while I am at the study?" Ileana inquired in a powerful voice, pointing downward again to punctuate her words. She was standing firm until someone informed her about her friend. The frown that marred her chocolate features made her look so much like her father.

"It has not been decided yet. She will be returned to you at the end of the day," Miss Olga explained in a calm tone with annoyance underlying in her expression. A vein in her neck was starting to visibly throb.

Ileana gave her governess a stern look to warn the woman against lying to her. Honestly, no seven-year-old—no matter how maturely she was treated—should have been capable of such an expression. The Princess then turned her attention to Rose and embraced her into a tight, desperate hug. Rose gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll return myself to you if I need to," Rose whispered to her frightened companion. Her voice was so quiet that she was practically just moving her lips and Miss Olga was unable to hear her, even though she was not standing more than a few feet from the girls.

Ileana nodded, but held onto Rose for a few more precious seconds. Rose did not let go of Ileana until she could feel the Princess releasing her. Princess Ileana was escorted out of the room first, taken away by Miss Olga. The smaller child was left with one of the many faceless servants. Apparently, she was not even important enough to be left in the hands of one of Ileana's usual attendants.

The servant attached a leash to the collar still firmly in place around Rose's neck. Rose did not say anything about, remembering the leash from a couple of years ago. It had not been used since she was given to Ileana, but she knew that the memories of it would never be erased from her mind. When a yank was given, Rose knew to start walking and she did so with her eyes glued to the floor and her head bowed in submission.

As they walked, Rose thought about her collar. Ileana had asked about it once long ago. Rose was not sure how to explain what it was and before she was able to get out that it was something that brought her a lot of pain, Ileana jumped to the conclusion that it was a necklace. For some reason, Rose could not find the words to correct her.

The silent child did not raise her head at any point in the long journey. She was aware that they were going down into the depths of the palace, places that she had never seen before in her two years of living there. She kept herself occupied by attempting to make a mental map of where they were going, considering that perhaps that she might need the information for whatever reason. It was just an odd habit that she had worked herself into to keep from getting bored, even though she never really had to use the knowledge that she collected before.

She did not see much change in the areas as they marched through corridors; the floors certainly looked the same with different carpeting some places. Some areas were poorly lit compared to others, but that was really it. Smells started to change, though. She began to catch familiar aromas and also foreign scents. She also caught the aroma of different foods. The humidity started getting thicker too and before she knew it, she was standing in a brightly lit gallery with all kinds of food products and people scurrying about. The strange thing was that they did not all smell like humans.

Rose was tempted to lift her head to find out what owned the very strange, but familiar scent, but she did not. The human tugging her stopped and so she halted too. They were both still for a moment and there was a slight yank on her leash, giving her the feeling that her tether had been handed to someone else.

"I'm leaving this pup to you. She belongs to the Princess, so don't lose track of her, but make sure you put her to work. Just because she belongs to the Princess doesn't mean she's special," the servant instructed whomever she was handing Rose over to.

"Yes, ma'am," a gruff, almost scratchy voice replied. Rose was so tempted to look up, but she fought the urge.

Rose watched the servant's retreat by keeping her eyes on the woman's feet. She then cast her downward gaze to the other pair of feet standing near her. She did take a secretive sniff in the person's direction and the smell caused her face to twitch while her ears faced forward. She really wished that she could place the smell.

"Ya belong to Princess, huh? Then I s'pose ya think peel'n potatoes too low for ya?" the gruff voice asked.

Rose was quiet, even though she knew that she was being addressed. She just found it safer to pretend that she did not hear anything than risk giving the wrong response. Suddenly, rough hands were on her cheeks, trying to force her face up. She pulled away instinctively and looked up to growl at the owner of the hands, but stopped as soon as she saw the person that she had been entrusted to.

"Elder…" Rose whispered before she realized; her tail swayed behind her. She was standing before one of her kind—a daijinn, a much older daijinn.

The older daijinn was a slender woman with a few lines on her dull caramel face. She was tall, but slouched a bit. Her ears were hidden in a mop of golden and onyx hair; the gold color dominated the top of her head while the small river of ebony trailed underneath the gold. Her pale silver eyes lacked any shine, but she did smile as she looked down at the child. Her thick, black, fox-like tail wiggled a little. Rose's slender tail moved a bit too as she took in the sight before her.

"G'morning, child. No need to fear. They call me Fry, they do. What they call ya?" the elder inquired. Her voice remained gruff, sounding almost like she was speaking with a mouth full of pebbles that were rubbing up against each other. Despite the sound, her tone was actually friendly, matching the look in her eyes.

Rose was silent for a long moment. She wondered, _is it safe to talk?_ She was not sure, but she was intrigued to finally see someone other than a human. It let her know that she was not the only daijinn left on the planet.

"…called Rose…" she said in her typical extremely low voice. Fry had to strain to hear, even with her sensitive daijinn ears.

"Rose? Call ya after Princess. Cute. C'mon, put ya to work," Fry said, wrapping her arm around the girl's small shoulders.

Rose pulled away from the contact. Fry did not say anything to the child, but she did motion for the girl to follow her. They went to an empty portion of what Rose now could see was a kitchen. The kitchen was huge, reminding her of her village in size and actions to a degree, which seemed like a dream to her now. Daijinn were milling about the place, going from pot to pot, stove to stove, handing all types of food—raw and cooked—to each other, and just appearing all around busy like a colony of ants.

Rose was handed a knife and left to peel potatoes. Fry tried to make small talk while tending to her own duties and showing how she got the name "Fry." She was in charge of any and all fried meals, working with a large pan and constantly working her cooking utensils over the different ingredients in her meals.

"You certainly are a quiet one," Fry noted, speaking to Rose after hours of trying to get a word out of the child. She had no such luck, but she did have a good pile of naked potatoes, so she was not upset over the lack of conversation.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana sighed and tried to focus on her books. Her tutor was pacing behind her while Miss Olga was standing directly to her left, blocking the door, as if she could read the Princess' mind and knew that Ileana wanted to make a break for freedom. The room was hot and stuffy. It smelled like moldy, old books, mostly because it was filled with just that. Ileana felt enclosed and fidgeted in a number of ways because of that. She tapped her fingers on her small wooden desk, she bounced her leg, she fanned herself with her hand, and she cracked whatever joints she could.

 _What are you doing, Rose?_ Ileana wondered as her eyes drifted from the page to the ceiling. A loud "whack!" quickly drew her eyes back to the book, where she noticed a thick stick between the pages. The stick led up to her new teacher.

Ileana decided when she first saw her new teacher that she did not like the man. He was thin to the point that she found it creepy. His skin was pale, but not like Rose's cream-colored flesh that just seemed natural. His skin tone seemed almost sickly, and a slender build enhanced the ill appearance, making him seem crooked and bent. Oily hair the color of rich soil crowned his head, tied back at the nape of his neck in the tightest pony tail; she was certain the tie was choking his brain. With eyes as black as a bottomless abyss and lines underneath them as if they were carved with a jagged stone along with a pointed goatee, he looked like a demon to the Princess. Being dressed in black and using that stick to get her attention was not helping his image in her eyes either.

"You should be paying attention to these pages, not allowing your eyes or mind to wonder. You must learn the history of your country," the teacher barked in his calm, hissing voice. He reminded her of Miss Olga already, always calm and cool, even when burning with rage.

"Yes, Mister Mikhail," Princess Ileana replied in a somber tone, eyes back on the words on the pages in her book.

"Your father hired me to teach you and I shall do so," the new tutor, Mister Mikhail, stated as if that was stone-cold fact.

Ileana did not see why she required another teacher. To her, Miss Olga was probably the smartest person on the planet. The cold woman had been teaching her since she had started the learning process and she was gaining knowledge; she tended to avoid using much of that knowledge, but she was gaining it. As quiet as it was kept, she actually enjoyed learning and did not mind Miss Olga as far as teaching went. Anytime she had a question during her lessons, Miss Olga had an answer and always put it in a way that she could understand. So, she did not understand why her father would bring an unwanted element into matters, throwing everyone off balance, and disturbing her entire being. Yes, her entire being. She hated to think what Rose might be going through if the smaller girl felt just as bothered as she felt.

The Princess' eyes refused to focus on the letters printed on the page before her, even when she appeared to be looking at the book. Her mind wanted to know what was going on with Rose. _Is Rose all right or as troubled as I am? Is Rose safe? Will Rose be there when I return to the room?_ Until she had the answers to those questions, she was certain that she would never be able to focus on the meaningless words before her.

The day could not end fast enough for the Princess and she found herself running to her room when she was free to go. She was vaguely aware of Miss Olga scolding her about her behavior, but that nonsense did not matter to her. She just wanted to see her friend.

Ileana's heart fell into her feet and her throat seized up as she saw her room was empty; there were servants puttering about the place, but they were not who she desired to see. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with water while her mind demanded to know where Rose was.

"Rose?" Ileana called in a soft voice because her throat would not allow her to scream. "Rose?" she repeated, rushing to the balcony, thinking that her friend might be waiting there. The balcony was empty too.

Ileana went back into her bedroom as her sorrow began to mingle with rage as she frantically searched for her companion. She had been promised that her best friend would be returned to her. She dared to wonder if she had been lied to. _Did Father lie to me? Did Miss Olga lie?_

Miss Olga entered the room just in time to see Ileana's eyes ignite with anger. Miss Olga knew that smoldering gaze, having seen it plenty of times in the last two years. Sometimes, she could hardly believe that Ileana had ever been passive considering the way she exerted her will now.

"Princess, Rose is being brought as we speak," Miss Olga informed the girl before the harsh screaming even started.

"She had better be," Ileana said with an edge in her voice that made her servants' blood run cold. Sometimes, it was scary to hear how much she could sound like the King, they all thought while continuing to go about their business.

Thankfully, Rose was walked through the door moments later. Ileana bolted over to her friend, wasting no time embracing her. Rose returned the hug, of course. Ileana pulled away after almost a minute and was about to say something, but then she noticed the leash on Rose's neck. Her eyes followed the line to the servant's hand and that was when the hollering did start.

"How dare you pull Rose around in such a manner? Are you mentally sound? Obviously not, demeaning my friend in such a way!" Ileana started up, eyes ablaze and a voice to match.

The servant blinked hard from shock. Miss Olga decided against jumping in since Ileana no longer had any qualms with screaming at her and she knew that the Princess would not stop until her wrath had run its course. The governess' demeanor did not even change while Ileana acted out, huffing at the servant, going overboard as far as all of the adults were concerned. Tension did coil in Miss Olga's stomach and cause her to tremble slightly as Ileana continue berating the servant. The scene made it seem like Ileana had learned nothing from their many lessons together and valued her dog above all others.

Ileana was not sated until the servant left her presence in pure shame with great humiliation after making sure to remove the leash. By then, the Princess' face was red from shouting and she tossed the leash out of a window in her bedroom. She could not believe that someone would dare pull her best friend around like she was some kind of animal. She turned her attention back to Rose once the servant was gone.

The Princess then embraced her friend once again. "I am glad you are back," she whispered into the triangular ear of her friend. Rose nodded as an agreement.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana learns more about Rose and her culture.


	8. 7: Fanning the flames

7: Fanning the flames

"So, how was your day?" Ileana asked her best friend as she turned her head to face the smaller child. Darkness coated the bedroom that they shared. They were expected to be asleep; instead, they were conversing, as usual. The Princess was curious as to how her friend got along without her for their first of many days that they would be separated for hours of the day.

"It wasn't much. I peeled potatoes for a cook," Rose explained vaguely, staring up at the shadowed ceiling. She was lying in the bed with Ileana, who was shamelessly hugging the smaller girl like she was a cuddly teddy bear. A small smile never left Rose's face whenever her friend held her in such a manner and the contact always made her feel warm inside.

"They made you peel potatoes? How beneath you!" Ileana declared with an indignant huff. Her forehead wrinkled as her eyebrows were drew in and her mouth cut into a tight frown. _How could they make my Rose do such pointless work?_

"I didn't mind…it was good to do something useful…" Rose admitted with a bit of a content sigh. She had not done something worthwhile, in her opinion, for years.

"You do useful things all the time. You make me smile," the Princess pointed out and she nuzzled her friend, rubbing her nose in Rose's hair. Both girls smiled from the action.

"You do the same to me, but it was good to do something with my hands. I went to parts of the palace I didn't know were here," the smaller girl said, some pride in her voice.

"Yes? Like where?" Ileana's eyes lit up at the thought of there being new places in her home. She had a curiosity streak a mile wide, liking to find out new things and discover whatever she could.

"Bottom levels of here. There were people like me down there," Rose reported.

"Like you?" The chocolate-skinned girl's face scrunched from confusion. "What do you mean people like you?"

"The ears and tails and stuff." Rose tugged on her ears and wiggled her tail a little, tickling her friend's arm with the fifth appendage. The Princess giggled, which put another small smile on Rose's face. "They was cooks," she continued on.

"They _were_ cooks," Ileana corrected her friend's speech. She lightly tapped the smaller girl's nose with her index finger.

"Okay, right. They were cooks. They were like me, though. Their ears and tails," Rose explained again. She pulled her large triangular ears once more and her tail swayed behind her, catching her friend's attention for a moment.

Ileana was distracted from the conversation as she reached out to touch the usually passive appendage, delighting in the velvety feel of the fur against her fingertips. Rose actually purred as Ileana caressed her tail. The Princess chuckled a little from the sound that escaped her companion.

"I would enjoy seeing them. Perhaps you could take me down there. We could make more friends," Ileana suggested as her fingers stilled on the shorter girl's tail.

Rose nodded in agreement, which the taller girl felt rather than saw. They laid there—snuggled together—in a comfortable silence for a while with Ileana's head resting against Rose's head. The fox-eared child took pleasure in feeling Ileana just breathing against her, the only presence that let her know existing was not only fear and suffering. Ileana enjoyed hugging Rose, knowing that there was a person in the world that just liked her for who she was and liked being around her.

"You are being rude, Rose," Ileana pretended to scold her confidant. Her voice was playful and she had a teasing smile dancing on her face. It was an expression that Rose could see almost perfectly.

The pale child was silent. Glancing over at the girl embracing her for a brief moment, Rose then focused back on the ceiling. She probably had memorized the ceiling by now, spending most nights watching it. Ileana playfully pinched her side to get her attention again. A very small, surprised yelp escaped Rose's lips.

"How was your day?" Rose inquired, knowing that was the question that she was expected to ask. It was the polite thing to do, after all.

"It was horrible. I missed you all day and my new teacher is worse than Miss Olga. He glares like a dragon and he has horrible smelling breath, like a dead fish stays in his mouth," the Princess answered, earning a chuckle out of her cohort.

"Well, if he's so bad, you know you could ask me to bite him. I will," the soft-spoken girl volunteered.

Ileana beamed on the inside by the suggestion, but brushed it off outwardly. "I would never tell you to put something so filthy in your mouth. Thanks for the offer, though."

The smaller girl nodded and they were quiet again. Ileana adjusted herself against her friend, resting her cheek near Rose's ear. The fox-eared child whimpered as the Princess continued to make herself comfortable, moving herself to where she was almost lying on Rose. She fell asleep easily in such a position, leaving Rose to the most interesting ceiling and her own thoughts.

Rose replayed her day in her mind and smiled at the memory of seeing others like herself, letting her know that she was not the only one left in the world. It was comforting to know in a way that she could not describe. Thee was just something about the knowledge that filled a gigantic space inside of her that she had been unaware existed. There was an empty, lonely feeling that was sealed shut thanks to her job in the kitchen. But, it also came with a price. She was now left wondering what happened to others in her clan and fearing the worst for them.

She wondered what happened to the teenage girl, Ten, that held onto her on their way to the human city. _Is Ten still alive? Is she in the affectionate arms of someone loving or is she suffering under cruel hands? What happened to the other clan members that survived the slaughter?_ It all seemed like a lifetime ago, but the wounds were so fresh that it could have happened yesterday.

She believed that she would never have answers to her questions, but she had a feeling it was much more likely for something horrible to have happened to them. If anyone from her clan was still alive, they were likely slaves, much like the daijinn in the kitchen. They could be somewhere being whipped and beaten, like she had been when she was first taken. Something inside of her told her that things could be even worse than that, but she could not imagine what was worse than the beatings and the agony brought on by her shackles.

She could not help wondering and thinking about how things could have been much worse for her as she contemplated the others' fates. After all, she knew first hand how menacing and evil humans could be, yet there she was, locked in a warm embrace with someone that shamelessly proclaimed her a dearest friend. Perhaps the gods were looking after her as best they could, she considered; or perhaps, her family was somehow protecting her from beyond the grave as best they could.

In that safe, loving embrace that Rose took so much solace in, the small girl drifted off to sleep shortly after her beloved cohort. Upon awakening, they found that their days would repeat each other.

-8-8-8-8-

"Rose, come!" Fry ordered the child, who was making herself useful by chopping up vegetables.

Rose was up like a shot and trotted over to the elder woman. Fry smiled a bit because of the girl's eagerness to work. She then gently dumped several trays into the child's surprisingly strong arms.

"You go follow them. Deliver these," Fry ordered, pointing to the line of other daijinn with trays in their arms.

Rose nodded and carefully ran off to avoid being left behind. Short, tiny legs managed to catch up with the others and she fell right into line with them. She noticed that she was looking at the backs of several taller, presumably older daijinn. She wondered where they were going, but she got her answer to that soon enough.

Walking down a dark corridor, they came to an open area. It was similar to a garden, but without beautiful flowers and other decorations. Rose blinked from the surprise sunlight that assaulted her eyes, but once her golden eyes adjusted she noticed something in the distance. There appeared to be people, moving around in unison. At first, she thought that they might be dancing until she got closer and could make them out. They were practicing fighting moves.

Rose looked on with fascination dancing in her metallic eyes. The warriors, who were all daijinn, moved in perfect unison, muscles flexed and each move powerful, yet graceful. Their chests were on display for her to get a look at how toned and muscular they were. She gathered their physiques came from their exercising.

"Hey, Rose, pay attention!" a kitchen worker barked at her since she was not serving the food that she was carrying.

Rose turned her eyes away from the warriors to see that she was expected to serve what she was carrying, as the other kitchen workers were doing. She rushed to perform her task and to do it as perfectly as she possibly could. She then went back to watching the warriors still working, studying their movements, trying her best to record them in her mind.

The child had to be yanked away from the training area after a stern glaring from one of the headmen. She had completely missed the glare because she was so focused on the warriors and their moves. She was returned to Fry immediately and given another task just as quickly. Her deliverer also had a message for Fry.

"Watch that pup. Curious about fighting," the daijinn female cautioned Fry. Her voice was similar to Fry's; there was a gruff, thick accent as she spoke, which was common among all of the daijinn that Rose came across so far. The child never told anyone, but sometimes, she had a little trouble understanding them.

Fry chuckled and turned her attention to her tiny assistant. "Lil thing like you curious about fighting?" she asked, sort of teasing a bit.

Rose was honest and she nodded. There was something about the way that the warriors moved that fascinated her. The mix of grace and power did something to her, called to her, and begged her to watch. Her nerves jumped at the idea of trying it for herself, moving just as the warriors did.

"Put that out ya head, child. No train girls here. Ya cook, ya clean, ya do something like that. No fighting, got it?" Fry inquired in a stern voice. Her eyes were just as stern as her tone.

Rose sighed, but she nodded to show that she did have it. Of course, having it did not mean that she could put it out of her system. She continued working, peeling vegetables—she was certain she was a master at vegetable-peeling after just a few weeks in the kitchen—and going over the moves that she saw in her head. It was then that she learned that she had trouble dividing her attention.

"Ay, Rose!" Fry hollered, lightly punching the child in the head.

Rose made a curious noise—a mix of a yelp and cough—as she lurched forward a little from the blow. She then looked up, rubbing her head to sooth away the minor pain from the hit. Fry glared at her, causing Rose to cower back a little and tremble. Fry's hard eyes softened as soon as she noticed just how frightened Rose seemed to be.

"Calm down, child. Ya know a elder never hurt ya. Need to dump things ya got there in the pan now," Fry explained to the little girl, trying to put on a gentle voice, but there was still that underlying roughness.

Rose nodded and gathered up all of the vegetables that she peeled and sliced. She marched the few feet to the pan that Fry was working with and she dumped all of her hard work into the pan. She then watched Fry cook, as she had learned she was supposed to; she was not too sure why.

"Ya know, ya like fighting, that's sun goddess hot blood in ya," Fry said to Rose, trying to make up for scaring the girl so much.

The child's face scrunched up from bewilderment. She made a noise and her ears leaned forward a bit, showing her interest. Fry laughed a little, finding it amusing that Rose just refused to talk no matter what.

"Maybe I no tell ya the story if ya no talk," Fry teased with a bit of a smirk.

Rose's face immediately dropped into a deep pout. She whimpered a little, like a begging puppy. Fry laughed a little again, her eyes dancing with delight. She focused on her job while Rose continued silently begging.

"Fine, I tell ya. You know sun goddess, right?" Fry asked and that got an eager nod, signaling that she should continue. "Story goes that she breathed fire into daijinn when we created. Her breath and fire burned marks on daijinn skin. With her blessing, we call fire with her marking. It was blessing used in early war with humans. As time keep going, we forget fire, though. We pray to sun goddess, but the fire never come back. Sun goddess not happy with her children, being beaten by humans, forgetting her blessing. We return favor, remember her love, then we get fire back."

Rose gazed at Fry as if she was the most intriguing being in existence from that short, detail-less story. Fry glanced down to see stars pretty much dancing in the girl's golden eyes. She reached down and rubbed the child's head.

"Ay, ya do good chores and I tell you more stories, 'kay?" Fry asked and Rose nodded vigorously. Now, of course, the chef knew after having Rose around for a few weeks that she did not need to bribe the girl to do anything, but she did think that the girl deserved a reward for being such a good worker. A story was not that hard to tell and Rose seemed quite interested, so that seemed like a decent enough reward for her.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was ambushed almost as soon as she came through the door of Ileana's bedroom. She expected it, yet she yelped on contact anyway. It could have been force of habit, or the fact that it put a smile on the Princess's face to hear the noise, or a combination of both. Rose was not sure.

"I missed you!" Ileana declared and she shamelessly kissed her friend's cheek, not caring about the looks of disgust that still appeared on her servants faces whenever she showed her dearest companion affection.

Rose's response to that was to hug Ileana back tightly, acknowledging that the taller girl was missed too. Ileana held onto Rose longer than usual, which earned her looks from the servants. Miss Olga decided to step in, making one of her typical mistakes when it came to the pair; she thought that the awkwardly lengthy hug was Rose's fault.

"All right, dog, let the Princess go," Miss Olga ordered, grabbing Rose by the collar of her long shirt. Rose wore a simple, tan cotton shirt that went to just below her knees as if it was a shapeless dress.

Rose gagged from the startling yank and let go of Ileana, but the Princess did not let go. The fact that Ileana continued holding on to the smaller girl only made matters worse for Rose because her collar was not getting any slack and Miss Olga did not seem to be letting go, even though it was clear that Rose was not the one initiating the embrace. Once the hissing sound reached Ileana's ears, she realized that she was hurting her best friend.

"Miss Olga, release her! You are choking her," Ileana pointed out, the edge in her voice quite clear.

Miss Olga turned her nose up as she let go of Rose. The fox-eared child started panting while Ileana attached herself to the smaller girl again. She put one arm around Rose while the other caressed Rose's head to comfort her as she caught her breath.

Miss Olga watched the pair go off to the balcony and shook her head in a disapproving manner. The friendship between the Princess and the "dog" seemed quite unholy to her, and to a lot of other people that saw the pair. Ileana's affections ran too deeply for Rose in many peoples' opinions.

"Hopefully, she will grow out of this repulsive infatuation," Miss Olga muttered to herself, eyes still on the balcony. _After all, the friendship could cause many problems for the Princess in the future. Important people will think she is odd for befriending a mutt_.

-8-8-8-8-

As night fell and the girls were supposed to be in bed, Rose stood in the center of the room and posed exactly how she had seen the warriors from earlier. She moved through what she could remember, exactly how she recalled it, trying her best to mimic the style and grace from the men. Ileana craned an eyebrow as she watched her friend move about.

"Rose, what is that you are doing?" Ileana inquired as she crawled from the head of the bed to the foot to get a better look at her friend.

"I was told it's fighting. I like the moving," Rose answered as she went over the short routine again. She wished that she had witnessed more, but she supposed that she was going to have to make do. She considered that she might be able to see more if she had to do another delivery sometime; the thought brought a small smile to her face.

"It is intriguing. Perhaps I could do it with you," Ileana suggested.

Rose motioned with her hand for her friend to join her. Ileana crawled off of the bed and stood next to Rose. She attempted to get into step, but found it much more difficult than it looked. She laughed to herself as she gave up a few minutes into the exercise.

"It would seem I am much less capable of learning from you than from my tutors," the Princess remarked with a light chuckle.

"What do you learn?" Rose asked, carefully pronouncing each word because she found that if she did not, she would end up speaking like the daijinn in the kitchen. She would then spend the rest of the night being corrected by Ileana.

"Boring things that my tutors claim I shall need when I come of age…whatever that means. What else did you learn today?"

"Nothing really. Fry told me some stories about the sun goddess. She reminded me of a song I know about the sun goddess."

"A song? Will you sing it for me?" Ileana requested, hope in her voice and a twinkle in her eyes.

Rose was quiet for a while. Did she really want to sing _that_ song? She was not sure. She had actually never sang it herself. She just remembered it so clearly, as if her mother sang it to her only minutes ago and not years. But, if there was anyone in the world right now that she wished to share that song with, it was Ileana.

"I can sing it later. It always used to put me to sleep, so it might do the same to both of us," Rose explained.

Ileana nodded and tried to imagine the song that Rose was saving for her. She continued to watch the short, cream-skinned girl go over the fighting motions that she witnessed. Her eyes were as intense as Rose's movements were and she appeared to be ready to drool at the ability of her shorter friend.

"You're amazing, Rose," Ileana said in a breath that her companion heard quite easily. She wished that she was just as capable as her friend in something so captivating.

Rose turned to her and smiled as well as blushed. It would seem that she was never going to get used to being complimented, even by Ileana. The Princess chuckled at her friend's scarlet stained cheeks. The laugh only caused the blush to remain longer.

The active girl eventually made her way into the bed, allowing Ileana to cuddle into her as usual. They both sighed as they settled down with each other. Ileana then poked Rose in the side with a slightly chubby finger.

"Sing the song now," the Princess requested in a low, fond voice.

"I wish you'd tell me what you learn," Rose said, curious as to what her cohort did with her day.

Ileana waved that off. "I told you they were boring things. Please, sing to me, Rose," she implored her friend in an almost begging tone.

The smaller girl sighed and decided to start singing. She tried her best to sing in the tone that she recalled the melody being sang to her. Ileana's entire being seemed to go silent to take in all of the enchanting melody that escaped Rose. The sound seemed to wrap them both up in warmth and comforted them, Rose especially. It almost felt like her mother was back with her, making her feel safe and as if life would be all right. The feeling actually remained, even after she stopped singing because she could not recollect the words.

"Rose, what is this song about?" Ileana asked curiously when her friend was finished.

The shy girl was quiet for a long moment and then she let loose a light laugh—something extremely rare for her. Typically, she did not laugh unless Ileana did and even then, she hardly ever did it. "I actually don't know what it's about. I just know it's about the sun goddess and the moon god," she admitted.

"The sun goddess and the moon god?" Ileana echoed in a confused tone. "Are those your gods, Rose?" she asked curiously. It never occurred to her that Rose might have different gods than she did, but she had never heard of these gods. Apparently, Rose practiced a different religion, she quietly realized. She found that to be fascinating and it just made her think that her smaller friend was more amazing.

"They're my kind's gods. Fry says they're the parents of our kind. She says I'm like the sun goddess because I was interested in the fighting. I wonder if I'll be able to gain the sun goddess' fire."

"What do you mean?" Ileana inquired, not following what her friend was talking about at all.

Rose explained what she had come to understand from Fry's stories. The sun goddess' fire was a power sleeping inside of all daijinn, but it could only be awakened by the goddess herself, through her blessing and love. Rose did not understand too much about how to gain the power since Fry told her it was taken away by the sun goddess because the daijinn brought shame to her by losing to the humans.

Rose sighed as she thought about it; if the sun goddess had not taken that blessing, her clan would have been able to live because they would have had more weapons against the humans that invaded their camp that fateful night. Rose trembled as she recalled that night, but she did not share it with Ileana. She just did not feel up to talking about those horrors yet.

The Princess felt her companion shaking in her arms and she held Rose tighter than usual, assuring the bashful girl that someone was there for her, someone did care. Rose turned in Ileana's arms and nuzzled the Princess' neck. Ileana placed a tender kiss in Rose's wild mane of onyx and fire.

"I'm sure you can gain this fire that you desire. You are Rose, after all. The best person I have ever known," Ileana said, hoping that she was comforting the quivering girl. Rose did cease her trembling, but it was more from the embrace and the confidence that her friend had in her than anything else.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls get into trouble.


	9. 8: Can't stand the heat

8: Can't stand the heat

Ileana sighed, trying her best to focus on the words in front of her. Everything printed on the page just looked a black blur. Her mind could only focus on wondering what Rose was doing and how Rose was doing; studies be damned. Every night Rose came back to the room with new moves to her fighting routine and stories to tell about the kitchen, making her day seem so interesting, while the Princess was stuck in her study, reading about history and getting glared at by her tutors and Miss Olga.

 _If only I could get away and see Rose and the lower parts of the palace that she keeps talking about_ , Ileana thought.

The Princess tried to figure out a way out of the room without arousing suspicion from Miss Olga, who generally could smell when she had a scheme. Glancing around the study, she tried her best to make sure that it appeared she was still doing her reading while attempting to figure out a way out of the room. She realized that the large study was set up in a way to keep her in, and she knew that was thought out by her father and her governess.

The room was covered in bookshelves, like a mini-library. Her desk was set up in the center. The windows were set just too high for her to jump out if she got the urge to do so and all of the bookshelves near the windows seemed to touch the ceiling, so they were too high for her to feel comfortable climbing. There were a few doors to get out of, but she knew that there were servants on the other sides of those. The main door was being guarded by Miss Olga herself.

Then to add to things, the floors were wood and made all sorts of creaking and groaning noises when people stepped on it; the King had the floor put down in Ileana's study for that specific reason. If Ileana got up, even if only to stretch out sore muscles, the noise would attract attention and the Princess would be ordered back to her desk, not that she understood why anyone thought she would get to stand up with the hawk eyes of Miss Olga watching her. She would be surprised if she would get to yawn with Miss Olga eyeing her.

 _I guess I shall have to try a trick to get out of here_ , Ileana figured and an idea came to her almost immediately. "Miss Olga," she called, squirming in her chair a bit.

"Yes, Princess?" the governess answered, remaining right where she was.

"I require the lavatory," Ileana said, still fidgeting in her seat. She almost expected to be scolded for her unladylike behavior, but she hoped that the distress in her eyes bypassed that lecture.

"Finish that page first," Miss Olga replied, sounding almost like she was giving an order.

Ileana groaned. "I had a lot of water with breakfast!" she complained, gritting her teeth together at the end of her statement.

"Princess, please, remember your manners," Miss Olga said, managing to keep her usual tone and demeanor, but her eyes did flash from her shock for a brief moment.

"My apologies, but it is an emergency."

Ileana then got up, pushing her chair back enough for it to screech as it scraped the floor, and she ran to the door. Miss Olga stepped out of her way and scolded her about running as the girl went by. For a moment, it slipped Miss Olga's mind to order a servant to follow Ileana, knowing that there was always something with the Princess. The moment was all Ileana needed to slip away, leaving a bemused servant in an empty hallway. Now, the Princess was going to try to make her way to the rumored lower levels before someone found her.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was making a noise that was close to a mix of humming and buzzing while she was peeling potatoes; she mentally joked that she was a master potato peeler now. Suddenly, she stopped her work and sniffed at the air. Something familiar was carrying over all of the hot foods and sweaty bodies, which caused Rose to whimper slightly.

Fry heard the noise coming from her helper, so she turned to look at her assistant, thinking that something might be wrong. Rose was leaning in the direction ahead of her, her eyes, ears, and nose all focused forward. Fry craned an eyebrow.

"Rose, get working," the elder ordered.

For the first time since arriving in the kitchen, Rose did not obey. The child put down her tool and task before walking off—like it was scheduled for that very moment. Fry called after her, but the louder that she called, the faster Rose fled. Fry was tempted to go after the child, but she had her own job to do and was not in the mood to get punished.

"But, they get that child and punish her just as bad," Fry told herself, eyes focused down in her sizzling pan.

The elder daijinn sighed, furrowing her brow as her eyebrows curled up a little. She went after Rose, following the child's distinct and quite odd scent; the girl carried a heavy aroma that suggested pampering, which was odd since much of her behavior hinted heavily at abuse. She wondered why the little girl was going out of the kitchen and up corridors that none of the kitchen workers were allowed to use without permission; the corridor led up to the main parts of the palace, parts that "dogs" were not desired or allowed.

Fry could not help wondering where Rose thought she was going. The little girl should know better than to leave before a human servant came to get her, the cook thought. She hoped that something was not wrong with the child because she was not sure what she should do then. Rose was her responsibility, but she was not how far that extended. And then she spotted Rose down at the end of the hall and saw that she was not alone.

Rose was locked in an embrace with Ileana. The Princess was smiling brightly and when she pulled away, she could not help ruffling Rose's hair and ears. The smaller girl only smiled a little and blushed from the familiar contact.

"What are you doing here?" Rose asked curiously.

"I came to see you! I want to see what you do while I am locked away in my study and I want to meet all of the people that you know. I want to be with you," Ileana explained as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

Rose nodded and her light blush darkened to an almost deep crimson stain marring her cheeks. Ileana giggled, finding her friend's reaction just too adorable. She ended up reaching out to caress Rose's scarlet cheek and a fond smile stayed on the Princess' face.

"So, please, show me around," Ileana requested with a friendly smile and teasing politeness.

Rose nodded and the Princess took her hand. Rose turned to walk back to the kitchen with her friend and immediately caught sight of Fry. The intense, disapproving stare that she was getting from the elder caused the child to gulp hard. Her heart sped up, her breathing got shorter and faster, her ears flattened out, and she clutched Ileana's hand just a little tighter.

"Ya run off and got the nerve be scared now?" Fry demanded to know, able to smell the nervousness that her charge was drenched in.

Rose started shaking, thinking that Fry might know the words to activate her bonds and hurt her. Ileana felt her companion's shaking and did what she always did in such cases: she embraced Rose. Ileana hugged Rose close to her while glaring frozen daggers up at the woman causing her friend such horrible discomfort.

"You leave Rose be! She has not done anything to you," Ileana commanded in a strong tone, showing no fear or anything in front of the stranger.

"It's okay," Rose whispered to her friend.

"How is it all right? She is being quite rude to you and you are shaking again," Ileana pointed out.

Rose pulled out of the Princess' safe arms and marched over to Fry. She bowed to the elder and gulped again, not sure what to expect. Ileana was not sure what to make of her cohort's behavior, having never seen Rose do such a thing.

"Don't stand there silent now, child. Heard ya talking, so know ya can now," Fry pointed out. Rose had no trouble following her, but Ileana almost thought that she was speaking another language.

Rose was quiet for several long seconds. "I'm sorry," she apologized in a much lower tone than usual.

"Don't be sorry. Got work to do. Get back to it," Fry ordered, sounding quite harsh. She was upset that Rose would put herself in danger to be punished just to go meet with a "friend." She had yet to see a human that was truly friends with a daijinn, so she did not know what to make of Ileana just yet, even though she did note that the two girls were bathed in each other's scents. That explained why Rose smelled so strangely, but then again, it was not weird for a pet to smell like its master.

"Yes, elder," Rose replied. She trotted back over to Ileana and took her hand again, knowing her friend still wanted to come with her. She walked Ileana over to Fry and introduced the cook to the Princess. "Elder Fry, this is my best friend, Ileana. She would like to stay with me for a little while," the smaller girl explained in a humble tone, head bowed a little and eyes looking up through her lashes.

"As long as you work," Fry replied and she turned to go back to the kitchen, against her better judgment. She could just feel it in her bones that she was making a poor decision, but she could tell how happy her charge was thanks to Ileana's presence.

Rose followed, tugging her friend along with her. Ileana eyed the older woman ahead of them. She was not what Ileana expected from the stories that Rose told her. Fry seemed like a grouchy, rude old woman, like most adults. The Princess silently decided right then that she did not like Rose being left with Fry all day, even if Rose did not seem to think it was such a bad thing.

Entering the kitchen, the sweltering heat and humidity assaulted Ileana and she exhaled sharply. Rose held her hand a little firmer to assure her that everything was all right, but the heat only made the Princess feel like she did not want Rose down there even more. Still, she decided to just experience things before making complaints regarding how her friend was being treated. Also, she would like to see what the place was like, even though it was uncomfortable, before passing judgment.

Rose went right to her station and resumed her work with Ileana standing by her side. Ileana looked around and noticed that Rose had not been exaggerating, the whole kitchen staff were people like Rose with large ears and tails, although their ears and tails varied. Fry herself had very small ears, which were almost completely hidden underneath her blonde hair while she had a bushy tail that reminded Ileana of a fox's tail. There were others around with similar tails while others looked like Rose's extra appendage, long and slender. All of the colors were different, reminding Ileana of a beautiful rainbow.

The Princess then took note that everyone was working on something. She turned her attention to Rose and saw that Rose was even working, cutting up vegetables. She watched the shorter child slice up carrots almost as if they were an extension of herself.

"May I help, please?" Ileana requested, speaking to Rose.

Rose nodded and handed Ileana the knife that she was using before grabbing another near by piece of cutlery to continue on. Fry glanced over to her right to see what the two girls were doing, but did not say anything since they both seemed quite content. The cook cursed herself for not watching for just a little longer because she would have noticed how inexperienced Ileana was with that knife. Only seconds later the elder smelled blood in the air and Ileana hissed in pain.

Fry turned to look so quickly that she caught a slight ache in her neck that she ignored. Ileana was bent over, clutching her left hand while Rose was frantically searching for a towel. Fry stepped over to the girls.

"Let's see," Fry demanded with concern in her dull silver eyes.

Ileana reeled back at the command, not wanting to show the cook. She thought that she might get in trouble or get Rose in trouble since it was Rose's responsibility to cut vegetables. The Princess considered that she might get scolded for doing the job poorly; she knew from tales that Rose was reprimanded whenever she did something wrong.

By now, Rose located a towel and took it to her friend's hand. She gently pressed the towel into the wound while gazing at Ileana with worry overwhelming her eyes. The Princess' eyes were flooding with tears, but she did manage to reach out with her good hand to rub the top of Rose's hand, trying to comfort her.

"And what happened here?" Miss Olga demanded to know, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. Her eyes were burning and chilling at the same time, seeming enough to set the whole place ablaze while freezing everyone's blood in their veins. Her arms were folded across her chest as if they were some form of impenetrable shield.

Fry's eyes widened as she immediately noticed the emblem on Miss Olga's shoulder identifying her as a member of the royal staff. Ileana had the decency to appear scared, even though she was still in sharp pain. Rose went into shock, trembling as if she was freezing to death and the little bit of color that existed in her face fled the scene. It was a mystery why Rose did not pass out from sheer fright.

"How did you know I was here, Miss Olga?" Ileana asked curiously, trying to will her heartbeat to slow down to its proper rate, so that she could speak in a much firmer tone.

"It was not such a great enigma, Princess. You try to be attached at the hip with your dog, after all. Now, what happened here?" Miss Olga countered in a stern voice, showing that she was not going to be distracted from her line of questioning.

"Oh, I was merely trying to help Rose with her chores. My hand must have slipped," Ileana explained as if it was nothing, motioning to her injured hand, which was being held by Rose's hands to keep the towel in place.

"Let me see it," Miss Olga commanded, speaking to the frozen Rose.

Rose was still in a petrified state, barely even hearing the conversation. Everything sounded garbled to her ears, like she was submerged in water. She just knew that Miss Olga was taking a step toward her with that glare in her eyes and hellish aura about her. Her tremors were visible now and she was fairly certain that her heart was ready to give out from overwork. Tears flooded her eyes, but she did not get a moment to shed them.

Miss Olga did not give Rose much of a chance to respond, as she did not bother with speaking a second command. She merely slapped the child away, knocking Rose to floor with shocking ease. Ileana shouted a protest that was not even a word while Fry made a motion as if she was going to go to Rose's side, but she caught herself, knowing that her punishment would be harsh if she assisted the child right in front of the human that hit her. Miss Olga took charge of Ileana's hand, removing the towel.

"This is a deep wound. We have to get it cleaned and bound to avoid serious scarring and possible infection. Come," Miss Olga stated without room for protest, or so she thought anyway.

"What about Rose? You hit her!" Ileana pointed out with righteous fury in her tone and her eyes hard from rage.

"She was in the way. I need to see to your injuries now. Come before the wound is infected from being around all of these beasts," Miss Olga commanded and she lead Ileana away, tugging the child to make sure she moved. She doubted that Ileana understood just how severe her injury was. Ileana struggled for a moment, but she could not pull away from her governess' grip.

The Princess looked over at Rose while she was being taken away. Rose was sitting on the floor, rubbing her nose, as a cascade of blood trailed down her nostrils. The fox-eared child glanced her friend's way, waving farewell to her. Ileana mouthed an apology as tears streamed down her face—and they were not caused by the agony in her palm.

Fry fell to Rose's side as soon as Miss Olga was out of sight as did a few nearby workers. The poor pale child had a bruise on her face and her nose was bleeding badly. Fry helped the child to her feet; Rose wobbled a bit, but managed to stay standing. Another woman put a cold, damp rag to Rose's face to ease the throbbing in her injured cheek and nose.

"Okay?" Fry asked and got a nod from the child, whose eyes were focused on the floor. "Yeah, tough pup," the elder remarked, roughly rubbing Rose's head. She hoped that the proud declaration and affectionate touch would help lift Rose's spirits.

The girl sniffled a bit while pulling away as always. Fry assumed the sniff was from indignation. She and the others went back to work while Rose stood there for a moment, trying to gather herself. Her whole face hurt; she had never imagined that Miss Olga could actually hit _that_ hard. There was even a slight ringing in her ears thanks to the power in the blow.

Rose quietly returned to her job, having to put her rag down in order to do the task. She kept her head down, fighting off tears. She suspected that Fry knew that she was close to crying because the cook kept glancing over at her.

"You know, ya had it coming," Fry said in a soft tone, surprisingly enough. Even though Rose nodded to show that she did know that, the elder continued on. "Bring Princess in this place. You got no mind at all, girl. Lucky they didn't speak the words and pull those reins."

Rose nodded and immediately her eyes went to her wrists bonds—her reins. She had learned the term "pull the reins" from the kitchen staff, which was what they called it when the humans used the words that activated the reins. She was actually one of the few in the kitchen that wore reins. She never bothered to ask why that was, but then again, she never bothered to ask anything. Fry had a pair of wrist reins, dull looking things that probably had not been replaced in a few years.

Her current reins were different from the ones that she had when she was first brought to the palace. She had grown some and to avoid having her wrists bleeding, she had been given new, more decadent reins, looking almost as if they were jewelry; Ileana had even commented on her "pretty bracelets" and she wished that she knew if her friend was being serious or not. She suspected Ileana was being serious since the Princess thought that her neck rein was a necklace.

"That'll keep happening, so don't bring her here no more. This no place for Princess anyway," Fry pointed out.

Rose nodded again. Fry sighed; _poor child_ , she thought. It was best for Rose to understand that she was going to be blamed for what happened to the Princess if something did happen to Ileana while in Rose's company. Fry felt that they were all quite lucky to not have been punished thanks to those silly girls.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was taken to her room and left in the care of the palace doctor. While she was getting her wound managed, Miss Olga slipped away. She returned to the lower floors of the palace and went right back to Rose. She grabbed the child tightly by the ear and proceeded to drag the girl out of the kitchen by the ear. Rose made sure not to make any sound while that was going on. The kitchen staff watched, but no one dared move from their task to find out what Miss Olga was going to do with the little girl.

They entered an empty hallway and Miss Olga shoved the tiny child into a wall. Rose flinched on impact, her back now hurting more than her face. Miss Olga did not release Rose's ear either and leaned down while yanking the ear up, so that they were on the same level. And then Miss Olga said words that Rose never wanted to hear.

"Royal salvation," Miss Olga hissed with evil intent into the child's ear.

Rose tried to brace herself, but there was no bracing herself for the feeling that caused through her as her golden reins shone as if they were lit up by the sun. The child screamed as it felt like every bone in her body was broken and like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. Her body jerked wildly, forcing Miss Olga to release her. She collapsed to the floor, convulsing as if she was having a seizure. Spasms ripped through her like she was being electrocuted. Tears poured out of her eyes, pain conquering all parts of her tiny body. Seconds later, she was gagging, trying to scream from the intense agony.

"If you ever kidnap or harm my Princess again, I will do so much worse to you than speak those words," Miss Olga stated in the coldest, most frightening tone that Rose had ever heard. She regarded the child with eyes that screamed Rose meant nothing to her.

Miss Olga then calmly left the area with Rose writhing in sheer agony. Even when the reins' flow died down, Rose continued twitching on the floor as if she was being electrified. Her throat was too dry to scream anymore, but she was coughing. Snot oozed from her nose and saliva leaked out of the corner of her mouth. Her tears had stopped; she did not have the energy to cry anymore.

Several workers from the kitchen poked their heads out to see what happened with Rose when they were certain that the coast was clear. They could guess what happened to her by just the sight of her spasms in the tight ball that she was curled in. They dared not approach her, though.

"Scared pups," Fry spat at her fellow workers as she pushed through the crowd with a snarl curled on her lip. She was rather disgusted by the fact that no one would go to the child's aid out of fear that they would suffer a similar fate.

The audience watched with amazement in their eyes as Fry gathered shivering child into her arms. Rose continued on shaking; her body was not under her control yet. Fry wrapped the girl into caring arms and whispered into the girl's ear, telling Rose one story about the sun goddess and the moon god that the child particularly liked. Rose cuddled into her chest, letting her know that she was having some affect on the golden-eyed child.

-8-8-8-8-

Miss Olga marched back to her charge, finding that Ileana had to get a few stitches in the meaty part of her hand. She scowled deeply to the news, thinking about how that "horrible dog" had somehow wounded her pupil. She was certain that Rose had managed to get to Ileana earlier when the Princess had gone to use the restroom and that Rose had taken Ileana down into the bowels of the palace, a place not fit for the royal feet.

 _The little beast is lucky that I only activated her reins. If only the Princess was not so attached to that foul wretch, I would have used the full phrase before appealing to the King to have her beheaded._ Just thinking about what could have happened to the Princess brought a tense frown to Miss Olga's tight lips. For a brief moment, she considered going back to Rose and using the full phrase, activating both her wrists and neck reins. Yes, there was a full phrase for Rose's reins, and if it was said in completion, it was more than certain that the surge from her reins would kill someone as small as she.

The governess folded her arms across her chest and waited outside of the room for news on Ileana while fuming over Rose. She expected the doctor to leave the room on his own after he finished with the Princess, but found the girl exiting with the doctor. The doctor continued on his way while Ileana stopped to stand next to Miss Olga.

"I am sorry for worrying you over my hand," Ileana said through gritted teeth. "But know this: I will never forgive you striking Rose," she added in a frosty tone.

"I am here to protect you, Princess. If she stands in the way again, I will strike her again. If that earns your contempt, then so be it," Miss Olga replied coolly.

Ileana did not respond and walked off, knowing it was time for dinner. She went to have her evening meal with her parents. She greeted them, but her mother was the only one to verbally respond. Her father did look in her direction, which was enough.

"Mother, how is my younger sibling?" Ileana inquired curiously, eyes focused on her mother's ever-growing belly.

"Your sibling is doing quite fine. I would tell you to come and feel, but you know how that makes your father glare," Lucia replied and Vladimir acted right on cue, glaring at her as if she had suggested something almost perverse.

"Barbarian," Vladimir hissed under his breath at his wife. He was certain that all of his wife's "inappropriate" behavior was the reason that their daughter still tugged around a "dog" and called the "dog" her best friend.

Lucia rolled her eyes. She had been in her husband's country for a little longer than their daughter had been alive, but she still could not figure out all of the taboos and norms of the nation. So, she had yet to figure out why it was wrong for her to offer their daughter a chance to rub her stomach while she was pregnant. She did not bother to inquire why it was odd for her to do so because she knew from past experiences that her husband would look at her as if she was some sort of moron and not explain anything.

Supper was quiet and Ileana stared at her food more than ate it. She thought about who prepared the meals that they were served. She wondered if Rose had worked on the vegetables mixed in with her meal. Had Rose done anything to help with her food? Most of all though, was Rose all right after being slapped? She would find out soon enough as Rose would be returned to her after dinner.

Ileana had to restrain herself at dinner, wanting to ask her father about the "dogs" in the lower levels of the palace; she actually did not know what Rose's kind was called. She wondered why she was never told about them or why she was never taken to bottom parts of the palace. She just ate as much as she could, reminding herself that she needed to be there for her friend.

"May I be excused?" Ileana requested, having eaten half of her dinner.

"Has your appetite been spoiled by your little accident?" Vladimir asked curiously, although he sounded almost as if he did not care.

"Accident?" Ileana echoed and then the throbbing in her hand reminded her just what her father had to be referring to. "Oh. I was careless with a pair of scissors," she lied so smoothly. She did not want to think of what her father might do to Miss Olga since she was injured while in the older woman's care. She was also scared for Rose, feeling that her father only needed a tiny excuse to forever tear them apart.

"Yes, that is what Miss Olga explained earlier," Vladimir informed her.

Ileana sighed in relief, glad to know that she and Miss Olga had similar thoughts on explaining things to her father. She was excused from the table and she had to force herself not to run to her room. Miss Olga accompanied her back as usual and they arrived at the room before Rose did, which was also normal. They did not speak of the mutual lie they told the King.

When Rose came back to the room, the first thing that she did was cower at the sight of Miss Olga. Before she ended up falling to the floor in a trembling fetal position, Ileana grabbed her into a loving hug. The embrace kept the smaller child from collapsing into a mass of spasms. When Ileana pulled away, she noticed her friend's face.

"Oh, dear, look at this bruise on your sweet face," Ileana commented in a soft voice, running her knuckles down Rose's maroon cheek.

Rose looked away, as if she was shamed of herself. Ileana rubbed her head, accidentally going over her sore ear; it was in agony from Miss Olga's crushing grip. Rose dared not to wince, not wanting to worry her companion. When the room was clear of people, Rose expressed her own concern over her friend's injury.

"How's your hand?" the fox-eared girl asked as the pair settled down into bed. She took Ileana's hand into hers and gazed down at the dark slash cutting diagonally across her palm.

"My hand is quite fine. I had fun with you today, Rose. I liked seeing new parts of the palace and being with you in the kitchen. Perhaps I can come and visit some other time, but I doubt I will touch anymore knives," Ileana remarked with a joyful smile. It was the kind expression that lit up her whole face and brought a smile to Rose's shy features.

Rose knew that she should object to such a plan, but how could she when Ileana had that delighted smile on her face? "I liked you being around too. I like seeing you more than just in the morning when we wake up and now when we're supposed to be sleeping," she replied in a smaller voice than she typically spoke in.

Ileana grinned and threw her arms around her friend, almost as if Rose was a giant teddy bear. From the fond feel of the hug, Rose knew that she had given the right answer. Her heart thumped heavy in her chest and she wondered if it was from fear the harm she knew would come to her when Ileana was found in her company yet again or if it was just having someone hold her again after the day that she had.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls' lives are changed after Lucia gives birth.


	10. 9: Gone

9: Gone

Rose was not sure how she let Ileana talk her into "these" sort of things. What fell under the category of "these" things? Well, mostly exploring the palace and its many secrets; Ileana loved discovering new things around the place. Right now, they were wandering down a dark hall that was one of the dozens of hidden passages that could be found through out the palace, and Ileana wanted to find them all. Rose was leading the way because she could see much better in the dark than her friend, thanks to the small slivers of light cutting through the corridor.

"Are we near the end yet?" Ileana asked, eagerness peppering her tone, almost making the room seem brighter than it was to her friend just because of her voice.

"No," Rose answered and she began to remember how she got talked into "these" things. It was not so much "talking" as it was the hugs, the smiles, the words, and all around innocent excitement that dragged her into such predicaments.

"I cannot wait to see him. Do you think that he will be tiny? I have been told that I was tiny. I suspect that he might be tiny if I was, but he could be different from me. Still, I believe that he will be tiny. Do you think the same? I am sure that he will be adorable, though," Ileana rambled slightly, clutching her companion's hand very tightly.

Rose was not sure how to answer that, mostly because she was not sure how a baby was supposed to look. They were headed to see the new baby. Apparently, Ileana's mother had been pregnant; Rose had assumed the Queen was just getting fatter each time she saw her. Rose felt silly for thinking such a thing now, even though she had no experience with pregnant women until now. Lucia had given birth not too long ago and Ileana was hoping to sneak a glimpse of what she knew to be a brother for her. She had only found that information out by accident, overhearing some scurrying servants talk about the event and the birth of a son. She had very politely asked permission earlier to see her brother, but had been denied, which obviously was not going to stop her from having her way.

Ileana clutched Rose's hand just a little tighter as they continued walking, getting closer to her goal. Rose glanced back a little because of the pressure on her hand and noticed the smile painting her friend's chocolate features. She sighed, focused ahead of them again, and pressed on.

Their feet tapped hard against the stone floor of the passage, echoing deep in their ears. Rose's ears twitched with each step that they took, trying to pick up sounds that would alert her to the presence of someone else. She imagined what would happen if they were caught: separation for the both of them for an unspecified amount of time, and who knew what was in store for her. Just thinking about it made Rose's little heart beat faster, causing pain in her chest.

Ileana squeezed on Rose's hand a little more, catching the smaller girl by surprise. Rose did not know it, but in her panic, she had started holding onto the Princess tighter than before. Ileana's response was just to let her friend know that she was still there and they continued on with their trip. The small gesture was enough to calm the smaller girl down.

"Oh, look, the end!" Ileana said, bouncing on her heels and pointing to a light at the end of the tunnel. Eagerly, she clutched at her friend's back and began laughing in her ear.

"Shh!" Rose reminded her companion that they needed to be quiet since they were so close to the room and they did not know if someone was on the other end of the corridor.

Ileana gasped before covering her mouth to make sure she did not make anymore noise. They made it to the end and Rose started sniffing in the direction of the room. Her ears also adjusted to the front, straining to hear if there were any people in the room. She then turned to Ileana.

"Sounds empty, but I do smell your mom in there," Rose reported in a whisper.

"And my brother?" Ileana asked, her voice seeming to jump from her excitement. She was being as quiet as she possibly could, but she still sounded as loud as banging pots to her friend. The fox-eared girl did not bother to try silencing Ileana again.

"I don't smell anyone else as strong as your mother. He might not be in there."

"Let us go see. My mother would probably not get angry at our presences," the Princess assumed.

Rose nodded; out of all of the adult humans that she had encountered over the years, the Queen seemed to be the nicest (not counting Ileana, of course). The pale child eased the doorway open and poked her head out to see if her nose and ears were wrong and there were actually people around. Everything appeared to empty, as she expected. She stepped out and the Princess followed, finding that the door that they were using was a body-length mirror. The looking glass appeared much heavier than it truly was.

Ileana scanned the room, looking for her mother. She was surprised to see her mother at the far end of the room, tucked into bed; the bed was large enough to swallow the Queen. In her excitement, the Princess almost completely forgot her etiquette lessons and charged the bed. She slowed her pace to a light jog as she approached her mother's prone form. Rose was right behind her as always.

"Mother, what are you doing in bed? It is almost noon. I am never allowed to stay in bed for so long," Ileana pointed out as she came up to the bed. _I would like to try it one day, though_.

Lucia laughed weakly; _Oh, to be eight years old_ , she thought. She turned her tired eyes to the two intruders in her bed chamber; she knew it was two, even though she had yet to catch sight of Rose. It was impossible for her daughter to be without the other girl, unless Ileana was stuck with her tutors anyway. Barely a second later, Rose was standing behind Ileana, letting the Queen know that she was right.

"How did you make your way here, Ileana? You know that your father would not want you here," Lucia stated, trying to sound normal. She was so exhausted, but she was going to stay up for as long as she could, especially if it meant spending time with her daughter.

"I have come to see my little brother. I was told that you had him last night. May Rose and I see him?" the young princess requested with a bright grin and her mother could not help smiling at her, even though it seemed like a chore to move any muscle.

"Regretfully, dear child, you missed him. He was born late last night and he was taken early this morning by your father. You will have to ask him if you can see your brother," Lucia answered, trying her best to keep sadness out of her tone. Her eyes misted over for a moment, but she was able to get that under control. _I have not even gotten to see him yet, but I hope that you will, Ileana. Please, take care of him and then may you both take care of each other_.

"Ask Father?" Ileana echoed with a frown. She doubted that would go well. Things rarely went well with him, after all. "Will you come with me to ask?" she implored, eyes begging her mother for a positive response. She felt like things would work out if her mother were by her side. For some reason that just seemed natural to Ileana, she felt like her mother could reason with her father, even though she had never seen such a thing happen.

"I wish that I could. I doubt your father would deny you. He is not that cruel, after all," Lucia replied, forcing out a smile, even though an unfathomable sorrow seemed to conquer her eyes as she spoke. She focused on the ceiling for a few seconds and had to blink away tears before turning her attention back to her child. _He is not that cruel_ , she silently assured herself.

Ileana was silent for a moment, thinking that her father was not as kind as her mother was trying to make him seem. He was always quite mean to Rose, after all. He did not respect anyone's opinion, she noted. He also had a habit of cutting in if she and her mother managed to get a little dialogue going between them. So, as far as her little eight-year-old mind could gather, her father was quite cruel.

"I would rather you come with me," Ileana said to her mother.

"As I said, I wish I could. You know, Ileana, I am happy that you appeared here today," Lucia said, happiness in her eyes now, but it was only mixing with the never-ending sadness that swirled in her coffee-colored eyes.

"Why is that?" Ileana asked curiously. She smiled because it was nice to know that she brought her mother some admitted happiness.

"I am also glad that you brought your little friend with you. You know, where I come from, we do not have many 'dogs.' I was just as amazed as you when I saw Rose that first time. I was also very happy for you. I knew that with Rose around you would never be lonely. Being lonely is a horrible, horrible feeling," Lucia stated in a firm tone.

The Queen took a moment to focus on the girls, taking in their appearance. The sight made her smile grow wider. Ileana's eyebrows drew together, wrinkling her forehead as bewilderment danced in the eyes that she had inherited from her mother, but the Princess did not speak.

"You two make sure that you are kind to each other. Try not to take each other for granted and be glad for such a wonderful friendship, even if the King wishes to make you believe it is something unholy," Lucia urged them, eyes beaming with hope that they understood her words and listened to her.

"We are kind to each other!" Ileana declared, shamelessly throwing her arms around the shorter girl.

"I know. Always be that way, so that you always at least have each other because no one wants to be lonely. We all need our space and sometimes we all need to be left alone for a little while, but no one wants to be alone, isolated, without anyone. So, be sure to be good to each other," Lucia now seemed to be ordering the girls in a strong, unbreakable tone.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ileana squeaked while Rose nodded vigorously, both stunned as they had never heard that tone from the Queen.

"Good…" Lucia smiled and she took a few breaths, fighting off sleep now. She knew that she was exciting herself too much with the visit, but she doubted it would make much of a difference anyway.

"Are you all right, Mother?" Ileana asked curiously, observing how drowsy her mother seemed. Her eyebrows were curled up and her eyes were laced with concern.

"I am just tired. It is hard work to deliver a baby into the world and I am told that your brother was quite large. I have to regain my strength," Lucia explained with a very deep breath. Her eyes were starting to droop and she sunk into her bed just a little more. Sleep was trying to force its way upon her, but she refused to succumb.

"Should we go?" Ileana inquired, her forehead wrinkling more so because she did not know what to do.

"I would prefer you stay," Lucia admitted. After all, her mind pointed out, how often had she been allowed moments with her daughter? Worst yet, how long would she have until she would never have moments again? She did not want to let things go just yet.

Ileana was about to respond, but Rose started tugging on her sleeve. Ileana glanced down at her friend, who pointed to the door. The Princess looked at the door and then at her companion. Her brain figured out just what Rose was trying to tell her.

"Someone is coming, Mother. We will hide, so we are not removed," Ileana explained in a hurried tone.

The two girls rushed back to the passageway that they had emerged from. Seconds later, several servants—all female—entered the room. They flocked to Lucia's bedside.

"How are you feeling, Highness?" one asked as the other two checked the bed to make sure the Queen was comfortable.

"I am quite tired. How is my boy?" Lucia inquired and she grimaced a bit when the word "my" exited her mouth. Her heart clenched, as if it was trying to correct her, but she refused to be corrected. _That baby is mine! He is my baby, he is my son. Even if I never see him, he is in my heart_.

"Quite healthy. He has taken to his wet-nurse very well. The King has been as pleased as many of us have ever seen him since the young prince's birth. I swear, the King was close to grinning," the servant reported with a smile of her own.

"Has the King named him?" Lucia asked, hissing a bit as she spoke. Curiosity and bitterness were battling for reign over her voice and the look in her eyes. She would have liked to name one of her children.

"I believe the young prince is to be called Viktor Dominic Fleurizan. He is a beautiful boy. I am sure you will be proud to see him."

Lucia laughed a little, quite the hollow. "I do not think I will be seeing this one."

"Of course you will, Highness. The King is not so malevolent and you are his wife."

Lucia smiled, amused by how naïve her servants were. They had to be naïve because more knowledgeable servants had no desire to be around a foreigner, which she was and knew that she always would be. She supposed that the naivety was the main reason that she liked her servants so much; they were quite adorable.

 _I wonder what will happen to them. Perhaps he will allow them to go to Ileana. She could use some servants that are less than on-point._ Lucia thought that her daughter would like her servants as much as she did.

The servants continued checking on the Queen, but before her daughter could come back into the room, Lucia had an unexpected visitor. King Vladimir paraded in with his typical powerful, in-charge stride. He stood at the foot of Lucia's bed while the servants hurried to leave the royal couple to their privacy.

"How do you feel?" Vladimir inquired in a cold, dispassionate tone. His eyes were frozen and emotionless.

"It does not matter. Would you please allow me to see him?" Lucia requested, voice pleading with him for the first time. She just had to try. If she thought it would get him to agree, she would have fell to her knees in front of him, but she doubted it would.

He waved off what he thought was quite a ridiculous request. "That does not matter. I have informed your father. Everything is set up."

Lucia sighed, but she did nod to show that she understood. Vladimir left the room on that note, surprising his wife that ice did not form in his wake. Ileana and Rose waited for a few minutes to make sure that the coast was clear. They sneaked back into the room only to find that the Queen had fallen asleep.

"Should we wake her?" Rose asked curiously, head tilted to the side as she studied the dozing Queen. Honestly, she did not think that the Queen looked like she was enjoying her sleep. Lucia's face was tight and her body was rigid.

"No. She was very tired. We can come back later," Ileana replied.

Rose nodded in agreement and they made their way out of the room. They went back down the corridor with Rose leading the way again. Both of their hearts beating excessively fast. Rose knew the reasons why her heart was pounding a mile-a-minute; she feared getting caught. Ileana was not sure why she felt a sense of doom, but the anxiety was causing her heart stress.

The girls decided to go see the Queen a couple of days later, hoping that she was feeling better and would be more lively. They also went with the hope of quelling the intense uneasy feeling fluttering in Ileana's chest. And, of course, the Princess also wished to see her little brother and thought that she might be able to do so the second time around. They were in for an unpleasant surprise when they entered the chamber, though.

The bedroom was empty. Not just devoid of human life, but all signs that the room belonged to Queen Lucia were gone. Ileana's body twisted in a panic, trying to glimpse something that said that her mother only stepped out and would be back in mere moments, but nothing gave her that reassurance. Her heart rate increased and her breath came out in pants.

"Ileana?" Rose said, feeling her friend's anxiety and fear.

The Princess did not respond. She bolted off toward the door, running out of the bedroom and out of her mother's apartments. She fought back tears in her eyes as she bolted down the hallway in the palace, not caring how unladylike her speed was. Her mind was swimming and only one thought rang through her mind: find her father. She knew that he had all the answers.

"Where's my father?" Ileana demanded to know, speaking to the first servant that she came across her. Her tone and eyes held a fire in it that commanded a direct response immediately, which the servant gave her.

"The throne room."

Ileana continued on her mission to get to her father, running as fast and hard as her legs would carry her. Her lungs dared not protest as the distance seemed too great. Her legs dared not complain. Her body just moved until she reached her destination and she burst into the throne room, knowing that her father was more than likely holding a meeting.

"Father, I cannot find Mother!" Ileana reported as eyes turned to her from the back of the room. Her father and five advisers watched her with disbelief on their faces.

"Ileana, you know better than this," Vladimir scolded her in a hard tone with a glare in his eye. His fist trembled on the arm of the throne, wanting to pound the heavy metal. There had to be something that he could do with his daughter, who was growing wilder by the day. He just could not figure out what that something was without possibly crushing the child completely and ruining her beyond repair. Not very appealing, even to him.

"Father, Mother is missing! We must do something!" Ileana begged. She did not even take notice of the other men in the room. Her attention was solely on her father.

"Ileana, your mother is not missing. Now, remove yourself from this place," the King ordered, waving her off with a brisk motion of his hand.

"Where is Mother then? She is not in her rooms! Her things are gone! Where is she?" the Princess implored her father for information. Tears overflowed in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as her sense of dread grew. As seconds ticked by and she was denied a straight answer, her insides quivered with fury and unease.

"It is not your concern. Now, leave," he commanded in a stern voice, almost growling at her. The tone hit her and shifted her attitude slightly—not in the direction the King liked.

"Father, where is my mother?" she inquired with an edge in her voice now. Her tears continued to flow, but now there was a hardness ripping into her gaze.

"Are you making demands of me, child? You forget your place. Now, remove yourself before I make you regret this transgression," the King snarled.

Ileana seemed to challenge him by standing there for a few seconds, inclining her chin to him. He glared down at her, as if he was destroying her soul with his eyes. She sniffed and then stormed out of the room. Once she was in the hall, she started wiping her eyes and sniffling because she could not stop crying. She was starting to feel sick and she feared that she might throw up.

"You okay?" Rose asked, causing Ileana to jump. It would seem that Ileana did not realize Rose followed her.

Ileana tried her best to cease her tears now that she was reminded of Rose's presence. She felt wrong, crying in front of Rose. After all, she was supposed to be the strong one. The tears did not seem to know that, though. She continued to bawl, which answered her friend's question.

The fox-eared child wasted no time grabbing her cohort into a tight hug. Ileana buried her head into the shorter girl's neck, weeping into warm, pale skin. Rose rubbed the Princess' back, hoping to ease away whatever pain Ileana was feeling, much like the Princess would do for her if roles were reversed.

"What can I do to make it better?" Rose asked in a whisper.

"Find my mother," Ileana answered honestly.

The golden-eyed child nodded and she pulled away from Ileana. The Princess wondered what her friend was doing as she watched Rose looking around the hall. Suddenly, Rose took Ileana's hand and pulled her off, almost dragging the taller girl down the hall.

"Rose, where are we going?" Ileana inquired while breaking into a jog in order to keep up with the now very active Rose.

The golden-eyed girl did not respond. She had a task and seemed to be completely focused on that mission. She moved like a roaming hound, sniffing at the air, stopping only to figure out which direction to go in and to make sure that the coast was clear. They were moving into halls and passages that she had never been in and she was not sure if they were allowed there. The Princess was not sure if they were allowed there either.

"Rose, I think…I think we're at the palace entrance," Ileana pointed out as Rose paused, pressing them into a wall while trying to figure out the next move.

"Is that where we are? Your mother's scent is that way." Rose pointed to the right. Her tail slowly swung and pointed in the same direction.

"I think that goes outside."

"Okay. We have to go outside then," the smaller girl said as if it was no big deal. She just needed to get her friend to stop crying and she would do anything to make that happen.

"We are not allowed out there."

"Doesn't matter. That's where your mother's scent leads. You want to find her or not?" Rose inquired.

Ileana did not hesitate to reply. "I want to."

"Then just follow me."

Ileana did not need to be told twice. Rose followed her nose and managed to get them out of the palace through a gap of the guards. Before either of them knew it, they were in the city. They did not register that as Rose continued to follow the smell of the Queen. They moved with blinders on until they got to the end of the line—the city gates. They peered out to the river and the bridges leading to the forests and what might as well have been another planet to the girls.

"My mother is gone, isn't she?" Ileana asked, eyes glued to the forest beyond them. Rose's answer was to embrace her friend and let Ileana cry on her shoulder, which the Princess openly did.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls get lost in the city.


	11. 10: A short leash

10: A short leash

Rose and Ileana found themselves standing at the gates of the city, very far away from the palace entrance. They had not cared much when they first arrived, but now that they had been there for over a half-hour, they were starting to realize how much trouble they were going to be in if someone found them—not just out side of the designated area in the palace that they were supposed to stay in, or outside of the palace, but almost outside of the city itself. The cool air blowing off of the river only seemed to shout at the girls that they were going to be in for it if they did not do something quickly.

The pair turned from gawking at the land outside of the city, with its long bridges over a wide, running river, to looking inside of the city. They looked up, focusing on the palace at the center of the busy metropolis. The palace appeared almost imposing, glaring down on them with a scolding that was waiting for them personally. The way the building seemed to loom over them and stare angrily, disappointingly at them reminded them of the King and worse— Miss Olga. They both gulped at the same time as the air around them went from chilly to heavy.

After staring at the palace in dread, their eyes turned to look directly inside of the city and their stomachs dropped into their feet. They watched as floods of people moved around the narrow streets, which seemed to go in every direction that they could. They both wondered the same thing: how were they going to get home?

"We are lost, are we not?" Ileana mumbled with fright burying her usually powerful voice. Her eyes remained locked on the throngs of people. She wanted to swallow, but her throat was too tight to do it again.

"Yup," was Rose's simple affirmation. Her mouth hung open slightly as she peered into the crowd too; just when she thought the palace had a lot of people in it, she had be shown that she had no clue what "a lot" meant. For a moment, she felt dizzy just from looking at the swarm of people buzzing about the city.

"My father is going to kill us," Ileana figured, eyes growing from dread. _Well,_ if _we make it back home, he will kill us_ , she thought. They did have to manage that feat first, though. "Do you think you could get us back? I mean, you did lead us here, so you can get us back, right?" she asked, panic seeping into her voice. Tightly, she clutched Rose's hand, almost crushing the pudgy fingers in her hand.

Rose scratched the end of her nose. "I guess…" she replied hesitantly. Honestly, she had not been paying much attention to how they got there. She had just been intent on following the Queen's scent because her friend wished to find her mother. She supposed that could work in reverse or she might be able to follow their own scents back to the palace. It was not something that she tried before, so she was not sure about how effective it might be.

"Please, Rose," Ileana implored her friend with watering hazel eyes and she gripped Rose's hand even tighter. There had already been so much happening to her for the day, she doubted that she would be able to handle being lost in the city and then have to face her father's wrath over leaving the palace as well as her conduct in wanting to know where her mother was.

Rose sighed and rubbed her forehead. How could she not try when her best friend was begging her with such a wishful gaze in her kind eyes? She began sniffing the air, walking around in a circle at first. Ileana gulped while her heart beat sped up as she watched her companion with anxiety in her eyes.

 _What if I got us lost forever?_ Ileana thought as she started fidgeting with her hands.

Ileana was sure that she could hear her blood coursing through her ears as her heartbeat seemed to get louder and louder. Rose glanced at the Princess, leading her to believe that the world could probably hear her heart. The pressure increased and she thought that her chest was going to explode. Suddenly, Rose grabbed her by the hand and started tugging her away. It would seem that Rose was going to get them home, causing a sigh of relief to escape the Princess.

Ileana took in the sights around the city as best she could while trusting her best friend to get them home. Most things did not really hold her attention, but she did wonder if her mother saw these things while leaving the city. Were her eyes witnessing the same things as her mother, the tall buildings, the masses of people, the rich coaches, and floral decorations painting almost every wall? Would her eyes ever settle unto her mother again? She did not know and she was pulled from those thoughts as Rose stopped moving.

"Is something wrong?" Ileana inquired as she saw they were standing in a filthy alley. She was not sure if they passed through it before on the way, but she was noticing it now.

"No, it's just a little confusing with so many new smells," Rose replied as she sniffed around. It was a little difficult to follow their scents without going in a circle. She was more conscious of what she was doing now and discovered it was actually harder to pick up the Queen's scent and work backwards. Besides, it was not like she was trained for such work. _So many scents...Oh, that smells nice, I wonder what it is...wait, no, I have to focus and get us home! Oh, something smells good down there too...No, stop it! Gotta get home!_

Ileana gulped. "Rose…" she whispered, her voice quivering.

Rose clutched the Princess' hand a little firmer to reassure her friend while trying to figure things out. She scanned the area with her nose, eyes, and ears. Ileana came close to her, holding onto her shoulders. She could feel Ileana's heavy breaths on her neck, feel the rise and fall of the Princess' ribs against her back. Determination flared in the smaller girl and, before she even realized it, she was moving, making sure to take her cohort with her.

Smooth, light stone and elegant dark brick buildings passed the pair by as Rose cut through the city like a hunting shark. Her always bare feet padded softly on the cobblestone of the main streets and dirt clung to her soles on narrow side streets. She could hear the distinct click of Ileana's shoes, letting her know that her friend was keeping up with her.

"Rose, are you sure you know where we are going?" Ileana inquired as Rose paused just to look left and right before opting to go right.

Rose did not respond. How could she? She did not want to tell her trusting companion that she was playing things by ear…or nose in this case. Yes, she had an excellent sense of smell, but as many times as everyone called her a dog, she was not really a dog. She was not a skilled tracker and she had little experience in using her nose like a homing device; she was more accustomed to using her nose to wander short distances from curiosity or to alert her if there were people in a specific location. Still, she pressed on, being more equipped to handle the current situation than Ileana.

They darted through the market place; Rose did not see what was there and Ileana only took glimpses. There were food stands with fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meats of all types. There were jewelry stands and textile booths with so many colors. People were packed in next to each other and haggling with merchants over prices. Most of it went by in a blur. Before Ileana knew what was going on, she and Rose were pressed against the side of a building, in another alley.

"Why did you stop?" Ileana asked curiously, but she did not attempt to press on or force her dear friend to move.

"Shh!" Rose replied, carefully glancing around the corner. "There are royal guards a few feet from us. They might recognize you. If we get caught…" She trailed off, too scared herself to consider what would happen. She almost started shivering, but she caught herself, reminding herself that she needed to be the brave one now.

Ileana nodded to show that she understood and she dared not speak. She waited for Rose to tug her along as they made their way back to the palace. They made it up the massive hill to the palace after two hours of navigating the city. Sneaking up to the Princess' room seemed quite simple after that for Rose. After making it so far without being detected, they were immensely surprised to find Miss Olga waiting for them in the room, glaring at them with a look that could slice a diamond. The girls gulped audibly while a bead of chilled sweat raced down Rose's cheek.

"Where have you two been?" Miss Olga demanded to know. Her face and stance were tight. It looked like she was a statue—a very angry, tense statue.

"We went to search for my mother," Ileana answered automatically. Her heart was racing, but her strong voice had returned to her. Her courage seemed to just show up in the face of her governess without being called or gathered.

"Your mother has gone home," Miss Olga stated coldly, as if it was irrelevant information and she really did not wish to speak on it. A flick of her wrist waved it off and dismissed the whole thing—to her anyway.

"Gone home?" Ileana echoed as her face scrunched up in utter bewilderment. She spoke the words as if her mother having a home outside of the palace seemed outrageous and untrue. From the way Rose's face twitched for a moment, it might have been outrageous.

Miss Olga's response was clipped. "Yes."

"This is her home, though. How could she have left here and have gone home?" the Princess inquired, trying to piece things together, but her mind was whirling. She put a hand to her forehead, massaging the space above her eye for a few seconds. It did not help and the concept caused her forehead to wrinkle.

"This is not her home. Your mother was a foreigner from the south. She returned to her country," Miss Olga said dispassionately. Her eyes shifted to cut a glance at Rose, who was trying her best to hide behind the Princess.

"Why?" Ileana demanded to know, tears invading the corners of her eyes. "Why would she just leave without saying goodbye? Why would she just leave when she just had my brother? Why would she leave us like this?" Her hands were balled into tight fists, polished nails biting into her palms as her stomach churned and acid seemed to burn her throat.

"Your mother was not happy here, so she left. You should not dwell on the matter. What should be on your mind is apologizing to your father for being so curt today and also for abandoning your responsibilities," the stiff governess informed her charge. _The Princess needs to understand her priorities, none of which have to do with the Queen_.

Ileana snorted quite rudely and folded her arms across her chest. Hazel eyes flashed and a chocolate chin tilted upward slightly. "I will not apologize to him. He would not tell me where my mother went."

"You will apologize to him. He is your father and your King. Now, go!" Miss Olga roared, pointing a claw-like finger toward the door.

Ileana's jaw tensed to the point she thought she might crush her teeth. Miss Olga eyed her as if she could start fire with her thoughts. The standoff lasted a few seconds before Ileana turned and left the room. Rose tried so hard to follow her friend, but was halted by the soul-chilling sound of Miss Olga's voice.

"Come, dog," the thin woman commanded.

Rose gulped and shook as she turned to face the governess. Frozen, ice blue eyes seemed to shoot the poor child and Rose's knees began to knock together. Her bottom lip quivered and her teeth chattered as her tail wrapped around her left leg. She felt like she might throw up and pass out at the same time.

"Here!" Miss Olga demanded, pointing a long finger down at the floor directly in front of her.

Rose's pale chin shivered with her lip and teeth. Her throat seized up on her and no amount of swallowing provided aid. She took slow, small steps toward the human woman, who only needed her to be within arm's length. Miss Olga snatched Rose by the ear and twisted the furry, little attachment. The child remained quiet, even though it felt like her ear was in danger of being pulled off.

"You are quite the foul presence on my Princess," Miss Olga growled, harshly yanking the child back and forth by the ear, not caring if she did tear the thing off.

Rose bite back whimpers that wanted desperately to escape her dry throat. Tears threatened to spill from golden eyes in anticipation for what she knew would come next, but the child held them at bay. A tiny heart thumped like a hammer on a rock in her narrow chest while the rest of her organs seemed to be strangled by her ribs. It seemed like all of her blood fled into her feet, weighing her down, preventing her from running away. She could only wait, knowing what was coming, like a traitor in front of a firing squad.

Sure enough, like a vindictive prayer, Miss Olga spoke the words that Rose wished to never hear again in her life.

Miss Olga left Rose on the floor, going off to make sure that the Princess did what she was supposed to do. The human woman did not even give Rose a glance, even when she heard the girl started screaming at the top of her lungs in unimaginable pain. She even told servants to ignore the agonized hollers, informing them that it was "just the dog."

-8-8-8-8-

The girls were quiet for the night, docile even. Neither of them even looked up at anyone, not that Rose made it a point to look at anyone other than Ileana. They went to bed that night without the least bit of fuss.

Ileana crawled into her bed and hugged one of her pillows. Her throat was burning, as were her eyes, like acid was poured into her body. There were tears begging to be let out and eventually they won out, seeping onto her pillow. She did not acknowledge when she felt arms slide around her chest and a warm body pressed against her back. It was almost like she did not want to accept Rose's comfort.

Rose realized that her companion wanted to close herself off to everything, but she understood the pain of being separated from family. She knew what it was like to lose a mother. She did not want her friend to go through that alone, to let the agony fester and cement itself onto Ileana's soul. She knew that she had to do something. Her mouth worked faster than her mind and was moving before she realized it.

" _The sun comes out for the day, but she cries at night; she cannot be with her love, she's always out of sight. The moon, he stays out faintly, for the whole day; he blows her kisses in that time before she goes away. Their love is cold, their love is hot, their love will last forever! She was the warrior, but he had won because he's oh, so clever…"_ Rose sang in a low tone and she could feel her friend calming down little by little. The shy girl continued, hoping it would help. " _He fought the sky, he played the sea, he tried for all that was, begging that she would just acknowledge him, all just because his love, his love, his love…_ "

Rose trailed off, trying to recall the rest of the lyrics. She knew that there was more to the song, but it was not coming to her at the moment. Feeling and listening to Ileana breathing let her know that it was unnecessary for her to try to finish the song. Silence reigned over the room for a few long minutes.

"My father sent my mother away. I know he did," Ileana whispered. "It hurts, even though I did not know her well anyway. I just wished that I did. I mean, she was right here and I never gave her much thought. I never tried to see her more. I should have. She was a nice woman, after all…" her words tapered off.

"She was," Rose affirmed and she was not lying. Although she was afraid of the Queen, she was not as afraid of the chocolate-skinned woman as she was the other people in the palace; even some of the daijinn in the kitchen frightened her much more than the Queen ever did.

"Why would he send her away?" the Princess wondered aloud, her voice still just a whisper.

Rose did not have any answer for that. She had vague memories of her own parents being together. Even with only dream-like pictures, she knew in her heart that her father would have never sent her mother away. In fact, she somehow knew that they preferred to die together than to leave each other. So, she did not know why a father would send a mother away.

"If he could send her away, could he do that with anyone? Would he send my new brother away? Could he send me away? Could he…" Ileana suddenly did an about-face and took Rose into a crushing embrace.

The Princess silently vowed to herself to never let her father take Rose away. She would hold onto her friend for all eternity, she promised herself. No, her father could not have Rose.

The smaller girl simply returned her friend's embrace, not sure what else she should do. She just blanketed Ileana with her arms and calming aura while the cool night air seemed to offer her assistance. Ileana fell asleep soon after that.

The fox-eared girl took some time to move her arms, working out her nerves. Her limbs still felt twitchy from her earlier punishment. Her leg muscles went into spasms while she was testing her arms. She shook for a moment and inhaled sharply, trying to get her lower limbs under control. She closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth until her legs finally ceased. She then grabbed onto Ileana again and eventually fell into light sleep.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana and Rose were having their snack together for the first time in a long time. Ileana had been in a depressed state for days now and it was recognizable to the point that Miss Olga had Rose brought up from the kitchen to let her have a small meal with the Princess. They were on the balcony at the table with tea and cake.

"I tried to see my brother today, but my father just told me to finish my lessons. He has done that twice now. I wonder if he will ever let me see the baby," Ileana informed her friend. A sad smile graced her chocolate features.

Rose sipped the bitter tea while listening and wondering why her companion insisted on drinking something that tasted like hot spit. As the silence grew and that sorrowful expression remained, Rose gathered that her voice was necessary for the visit. She suggested something that she knew her friend needed to hear, even though she was well aware that it was a bad idea.

"We could always sneak to go see him," the fox-eared girl proposed.

"But, we do not know his room and you do not know his scent," Ileana pointed out. She had actually had that idea the first time that her father denied her the chance to see her brother, but she did not say anything because of the reasons that she mentioned.

"I'll just sniff out an unfamiliar scent," Rose said. She hoped that did not sound as ridiculous to her cohort as it did to her.

"But, what if instead of my brother, it is a new servant or something?" the Princess inquired.

Rose blinked twice, very hard. " _You_ , of all people, are scared to take a chance?" she asked in sheer disbelief.

Ileana laughed a little; the sound was quite sheepish. Her eyes shined as she chuckled, though. She smiled at her friend.

"It is silly. All right, we can do this. Let's go see my brother," Ileana declared with a grin.

Rose smiled in return, even though just the thought of the plan made her muscles twitch. Despite the slight spasms, she went about taking in the air, trying to find a new smell in the palace. When she locked onto her target, she grabbed the Princess and they made their way into the forbidden—rather, into more pain, as far as Rose was concerned.

They hid outside of the room and they both knew that there was no way that they would get in with the direct approach. They needed to find a secret tunnel into that room, but at least they knew where they were going now. The hunt for a way in became their top priority. It did not take them long to find a way into the room; the palace was riddled with hidden passageways. Ileana was actually the one that found most of the passages too; somehow, she always figured out where the best place for them would be.

The passage that led to the room was tiny and cramped, but they pressed on through it. Rose led the way and poked her head out of the doorway, just to get a look at the layout. She scanned the room, taking in as much as she could in a few brief seconds, and then went back into the hidden hall to tell Ileana the problem that lay ahead.

"There's a lot of servants in there. I don't know if we can just sneak in there," Rose explained.

"But, we have come so close," Ileana replied, eyes filling with sadness while her face drained of color and hope.

"I know," Rose concurred and then she sighed. She knew that she had to be crazy for what she was about to say, but she just could not take seeing the pain in her best friend's light brown gaze anymore. "I'll distract them and you go see your brother," she suggested.

"What? No! You would be punished terribly for being in the baby's room," Ileana pointed out, clutching her friend's shoulder tightly with concern.

Rose shook her head; she was going to be punished severely no matter what. She signed her warrant the moment that she suggested that they sneak off to see the Prince and she was well aware of that. She would endure, though, if only to see her friend's smiling face again.

"It'll be fine. I'll go in. You wait a few seconds and then sneak in," Rose instructed her friend.

"Rose…" Ileana was not sure what to say aside for her companion's name.

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure you see your brother," Rose ordered sternly.

Ileana nodded because she had never heard such a strong voice from her friend. Rose took a deep breath then went into the room and it sounded like all Hell broke loose to Ileana. There were high-pitched shrieks and screams of "mad dog!" in the room, sounds of things being tipped over, and the rush of feet against the carpeted floor. Ileana was amazed at how quickly Rose drew their attentions.

While the servants were running about the place, trying to catch Rose and get her out of the room, Ileana approached the crib that housed her baby brother. She peered inside, not sure what to expect because she had never seen a baby up close. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw the tiny babe.

Her brother—Viktor, she believed he was called—was possibly the smallest creature that Ileana had ever seen up close. He was fair-skinned with dark, onyx strands of hair. He locked eyes with his big sister and his huge, honest brown eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight. She grinned widely and giggled somewhat; he did the same. She realized at that moment that seeing him would be well worth any punishment her father had for her and he was going to have one considering she was glued in place and was eventually caught when Rose's distraction lost its luster.

Vladimir was informed that Ileana was in the baby's room and he desired to see her immediately. Ileana gulped as she stood before her father, who was seated on his throne. He glared down at her in a manner that made her heart race to the point that there was a pain in her chest.

"You are turning into your mother with this attitude of disobeying. You will get to see your brother eventually. Learn patience," Vladimir commanded through gritted teeth.

"I only—" She tried to explain herself, but he was not in the mood to hear.

"Silence!" he boomed, slicing menacingly through the air with his large open hand. "I have laid down rules and you cease to follow them! You walk about this place as if it was your own domain when you are only a child. Since you refuse to listen, I will have to force you to understand just who is in charge here. I hope you enjoy being without your pet for a week," he stated harshly. His hard eyes held some level of satisfaction, knowing how severe his decree was for his daughter.

"What! You cannot take Rose from me!" Ileana roared, making her own violent sweep with her hand as she took a step next toward her father. Her eyes were alight with righteous fury that her father did not even acknowledge.

"You dare scream at me, girl?" he bellowed, face contorting with deep rage. He towered over her, looming like a dark cloud with stormy eyes ready to rain down upon her. "You better find your senses quickly or I will send your precious puppy to the gutter tomorrow!"

Ileana gulped; he had already sent her mother away, so she knew that he could do the same with Rose. Immediately, she bowed to her father in apology and to show that she accepted that punishment. She even managed to pull an almost sincere "please, forgive me" from her mouth after a few seconds. He allowed her to leave after that. She wondered how she might survive a week without Rose.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was handled by Miss Olga and then led to the kitchen, where she would be left for the week. Miss Olga also ordered that everyone leave Rose alone. No one was to talk to her, touch her, or offer her anything, except work. She was on her own for the week that she was alone.

Rose immediately curled up into a corner, body going through violent tremors thanks to her treatment from Miss Olga. She held in tears that really wished to fall and refused to make a sound as the kitchen staff milled about her. They would not even look in her general direction, even though it was clear that she was in pain. None of them wanted a taste of what she had gotten.

"What do now, child?" Fry asked, sitting down next to her assistant, embracing the girl in her next move.

Rose did not answer, as expected. She held onto the child securely until the shivering fit finally passed. Fry then made sure the girl got some food in her belly before giving Rose a task that she knew the child would think was a chore, but it was really just a way for Rose to relax and cheer the child up.

"Take this to captain of Fang Guard," Fry ordered, handing the tiny girl a tray with three covered dishes.

Rose nodded enthusiastically and carefully took the tray from the cook. She then walked off down, going down the now familiar hall and she got to see the daijinn warriors practicing their fighting moves again. They were called the Fang Guard; she had often heard them referred to as "attack dogs." She was not too sure what that phrase meant, but she knew that they were specially trained warriors to protect the palace as a last stand; they were expected to hold ground against enemies if the palace was under attack and the humans, especially the royal family, needed to flee. She did not see why they would protect the humans, but she never asked about it.

The child watched the warriors until she was noticed by the captain, who barked at her as usual for just standing there. She then remembered that she was holding food for him and took it to him. With her task done, he ordered her to leave, but she was back hours later with more food. She made sure to get an eyeful of what the warriors were doing again and that was her pattern for the week.

Fry took care of Rose while she was left in the belly of the palace. She made sure that Rose got proper meals, even though human servants and daijinn alike seemed on intent on starving the child. She also shared her sleeping space with Rose, making sure the girl did not freeze to death. Rose was silent through out the whole stay, but Fry was certain that she could see gratitude in tired golden eyes.

When the small daijinn child was allowed to go back to the Princess, Ileana almost tackled her as she stepped into the room. She showered Rose's face with kisses, even though the fox-eared girl was filthy with ash smears on her creamy face, which shined from grease and sweat. The smell coming from Rose was downright putrid from not bathing for a week and working hard, but the odor did not even seem to touch her friend.

"Thank the heavens you are all right! I feared he might have taken you forever!" Ileana said in between sweet, little kisses.

Rose stood still for a moment, as if she was just a shell without a mind. And then her arms wrapped around Ileana's waist and warmth filled her frozen body. All of the tears that she had been holding in for a week poured out of her and they were not from pain, but from sheer elation. She never wanted to let Ileana go again.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls find a new hobby, aside from getting in trouble all the time. Of course, it leads to trouble, though.


	12. 11: Burning hot temper

11: Burning hot temper

Rose noticed, in the few instances when she and Ileana were allowed to have their snack together, that her best friend liked to look over the railing, down into the city. She could guess what was going through the Princess' mind, especially since they had been down there before, and because of the things that they spent their time doing in the palace. They explored; the Princess was curious and she was an adventurer, which explained why Rose was not surprised when the dreaded words came from Ileana's mouth.

"We should go back into the city. We should see what things are like down there," Ileana suggested, eyes staring down into the city that had once seemed so far away, but now appeared so close that she could touch it.

"We saw," Rose pointed out, sitting at the table and contemplating pouring her tea out while her cohort was not looking. If it was an acquired taste, she would like to know when she would acquire it.

"All right, we saw while in a panicked flight. I would like to…" Ileana stopped to consider her words, putting a finger to her chin as she thought on it. "I would like to experience the city. It would be a good way for us to spend time together."

Rose sighed; it would _also_ be a good way to end up locked away for days again. It would be a good way to be left to sleep on the dirty kitchen floor with everyone, except for Fry, avoiding her like she had a horrible plague. It would be a good way to feel like her chest was being cut open and her organs removed by Miss Olga and those terrible words. Yet, she voiced none of those thoughts, knowing that a pleading look and a simple smile would melt her resolve into meaningless liquid anyway.

Rose stared into her tea cup, looking down at her reflection. Her ears twitched, catching her eye and shifting her thoughts. She wondered, were there others like her in the city? Were there other daijinn down there? Daijinn that would associate with her? Could she find clansmen? What about that teenager that held her those first days? She could not remember the girl's name anymore, but she could recall those strong arms wrapped around her, trying to protect her. She would like to find that girl again, if only to show her that she survived and was all right. The thoughts, the possibilities flooded her, drowning her earlier thoughts in a whirlpool of hope and desire.

"Let's go!" Rose said in a gung-ho fashion, shooting to her feet and hitting the table with her palms.

Ileana blinked twice quite hard because she was taken back by her friend's _very_ rare enthusiasm. She was glad for it, though, and smiled brightly after she got over her shock. Rose laughed a little, sounding quite sheepish; she recognized how odd it had to be for her to seem so excited.

-8-8-8-8-

The buildings closest to the palace were the most beautiful in the entire city with polished, almost sparkling white stone for walls and paintings of all types decorating even the outsides. The walls protected the homes from view, but Ileana was vaguely aware the homes were large villas owned by nobles that liked living in the city. The streets of wealthy neighborhood were spotless and paved with smooth yellow stones with many different flower designs carved into them. There were lovely lush trees lining the road with lively green bushes that seemed to be sprinkled with the brightest of flowers of all types. For Ileana, she could see why the city was referred to as "the City of Flowers" from the displays.

They passed through a sea of grass and bushes before coming to the city proper. Instantly, the scene, the feel, the vibe was totally different. The place beyond the miniature wood was bustling with people, moving about at various speeds and with an assortment of purposes, seeming to go off in all directions possible. Ileana gasped as she took it in, awed by what she was witnessing. Rose searched through the masses, wanting to see someone like herself, someone from her distant memories.

Seeing the city this time made more sense to both girls. They were able to take it in much differently, gather things about it, and study it in their own ways. The sights of the tall buildings, some stretching over fifty feet in the air, would have kept their eyes glued to the sky if only there were not just as many things to see on the ground. The tans of the buildings were off set by the white stone foundations, which were decorated with flower and garden scenes. There were graffiti marks on some of the paintings, cracks in some of the stones, and faded scenes showing their age. But, even the flaws caught their attention and awe for a time.

The main streets were all cobblestone and held rivers of people moving with purpose, flowing against each other with almost tranquil blend. There were dozens of aromas in the air, but only nearby ones stood out for Ileana, so she smelled foods as they passed by homes, oils and perfumes when they passed stands, but mostly she smelled musks that were unique to busy people rushing about. It was not a very pleasant experience most of the time.

Rose had a much different experience when it came to the scents of the city. Now that she was not trying to key on anything in particular, her mind felt like it was being flooded with information. Sweet fragrances caught her attention mostly, so whenever she caught those smells, she locked on them until they were replaced by a new curiosity. So, over the smoke of ovens, sweat of working men, and general dirt of the street, Rose's nose searched for fruits, flowers, and spices that she would have loved to follow. She stayed close to her cohort, though.

The friends had agreed to just look around and avoid as much as possible while just looking. They would not touch anything or even stare at anything for too long. They did not want to get into any trouble, especially on their first adventure exploring outside of the palace. They also did not want to call attention to themselves because they just wanted to enjoy their freedom.

"Clan…" Rose whispered in desperation as her eyes practically ravaged the crowds, only to find nothing. Nothing that interested her anyway.

Ileana grabbed Rose by the hand and yanked her friend into the waves of people. They walked amongst the people, as if they belonged there, taking in the city. They passed by homes and businesses, through clean and filthy areas, and through the markets and shops. They did not touch anything, they did not say anything to anyone, and they made sure to move out of the way if they were in someone's path. They did well their first time out, making sure that they were not caught.

They made it back to the palace thanks to Rose's nose, but eventually they learned many different ways back whenever they went out to explore the city. They did not get many chances to do it because of Ileana's schedule, but they went out often enough and came to enjoy the outings. Getting away from the palace and the pressure was good enough for them.

"I hope we can take this walk forever, together, Rose," Ileana said, holding her friend's hand as they traveled through the sea of grass for the next venture into the city. They had done it countless times by now, and figured it would always be that way.

-8-8-8-8-

"You know, little girls shouldn't play outside," Fry commented, speaking to her assistant, who was spreading lard onto a pan for her. Fry's lush tail swayed as she spoke, seeming to get Rose's tail moving for a few seconds.

Rose gave her boss a puzzled look and that earned her a light slap in the back of the head from the older female. Rose hissed, lurching forward a bit from the blow. She held onto the lard with one hand and rubbed the back of her head with the other.

"You gone give me look like lost pup? Ya think I not know? Ya think I not know you? That woman with sour face, she kill ya if she find out," Fry huffed, speaking in an angry hiss in her assistant's ear. She moved around the child like an aggravated cobra, searching for a place to strike. Her tail thrashed behind her and the child's tail dropped.

"She doesn't know…" Rose whispered, eyes on the floor and pointed ears slumped down.

"She find out. She no dumb. You fool think she is. Cut out the foolishness," Fry commanded, pointing down at the child with the hope that it helped get her point across.

"It's not…" Rose trailed off, not sure how to defend her actions. She wondered how Fry even knew what she did. She and Ileana were certain that no one knew of their trips to the city.

"Don't be fool. You go out, she get hurt, who you think blame? That woman kill you good if she scratched. You listen me good, you stay in. You cook, you do good, eh?" Fry rubbed the top of her head, mussing her hair and ears.

Rose sighed, not wanting to agree because she knew it would be a lie. She was not going to stay in and it was not because of that smile that always won her over. She enjoyed going outside, seeing other sights, walking with her friend without having to fear someone coming up behind her and using _those_ words.

The child did not reply, but she did listen and she took in what the chef told her. If Ileana was touched, marked, or harmed, Miss Olga would do unimaginable things to Rose; she knew that all too well. But, she could not stay away from the city, so all she could do was protect Ileana if something did come up. She almost laughed at the thought.

 _I'm smaller than she is in every way possible, yet I think I could protect her? All I do is cry and shake. I'm worthless…aren't I?_ Rose glanced down at herself, and then fixed her eyes on the dark grey wall of the kitchen. She laughed; it was a hollow chuckle.

Fry heard her and rubbed her head again. Rose tried to cover up her feelings by offering Fry a small smile, but the look in her eyes was the same as always. Fry always thought that Rose had the eyes of a hundred year old abused corpse, eyes that begged to just rest.

 _Gold should shine_ , Fry thought. The gold that Rose possessed just looked worthless, though. It was a shame, in the old woman's opinion.

-8-8-8-8-

"You know, stuff always smells really nice behind this wall," Rose commented as she and Ileana strolled down the main street of the wealthy neighborhood of the city nobles. Rose had her hand on a wall, which was painted with all sorts of flowers on it. She barely fought against the urge to scratch at the wall, to try to dig her way through and find out what smelled so good. The aroma hit her so soft and delicately that she felt like it could carry her over the wall to see what caused it.

"Like food?" Ileana asked curiously. The whole district smelled nice to her, but she expected that since the place was lined with bright, fragrant flowers. Unfortunately, a lot of those flowers were roses. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the plants and frowned deeply, wishing that the city had a fascination with some other type of flower. _What is with people and roses around here? Do they really believe roses bring good fortune and all of that stuff? Roses are horrible!_ _They do not even smell good! They look silly compared to other flowers and I am almost certain they are no more good luck than a rotten, steaming pile of dung!_

"I don't know. It's not food. It's just nice," Rose replied with a shrug. Nice to the point where she would like to run through the wall and just roll around in whatever was over there. Unfortunately, she doubted that she would make a dent in the stone if she did run into the wall.

"Well, if you could get over the wall, you might be able to see what it is. But, I do not think you could get over such a wall," the Princess pointed out.

Rose nodded; she was about four feet worth of nothing while the wall was over fifteen feet. _One day…_ she silently vowed, eyeing the wall. They continued on their way, traveling through the sea of grass and into the main city. They marched right to the market place; it was one of Ileana's favorite places to go because of all of the people. It just fascinated her to see so many people and none of them paying her any mind.

 _No attention, no pressure, no scolding. It is like they do not even see me_ , Ileana thought to herself with glee. A small smile forever played on her lips when she was out in the city.

Rose walked by her friend's side, all senses on high alert just in case. She was also searching for someone from her clan—or at least another daijinn. There was also the fact that the city just filled her senses, delighting her brain with lots of information. She often considered if Ileana ever let go of her hand, she would just wander the city, lost in the ocean of sensations. Ileana thought the same, which was why she always made sure to hold onto Rose tightly.

"These look so good," Ileana said, marveling over some fruits sitting pretty on a stand. Rose peered over at the food too and nodded her agreement.

They moved on, Ileana making sure that she had Rose's hand as she knew that her friend's mind was too occupied to pay complete attention to anything. They floated through the food section of the market and turned down a street into a different part of the market with fabric vendors. The colors alone made Rose turn her head every few seconds, but added to the fact that perfumes were also sold in that area, she could not keep still. Her senses always made it seem like she experienced the market place on a much deeper level, catching more of it than any human could imagine. But, then again, most humans came into the markets with more on their minds than sampling every perfume that crossed their noses.

"I bet you would look nice in new clothes _,_ " Ileana mused aloud, just in case her friend was listening and decided to answer. The silence let her know that her poor companion was still just as titillated by market as always. She made a mental note to get Rose a better outfit than the horrible dress the smaller child was always made to wear and she did not care how much she had to yell at the servants to make it happen.

The Princess glanced over at Rose to make sure that she was all right. Rose was walking with her eyes half-closed; the perfume aroma was just so pleasant that it almost intoxicated her. Ileana giggled a little from the way her friend looked. She liked to see her comrade dazed from a wonderful scent; it was just good to see Rose relax and take in the life around her. Far too often, Rose lived like a mouse being stalked by a cat.

 _I wish I had money, but I have no idea how to get any. I would buy Rose some clothes and perfumes for her to always see her happy face_ , Ileana said to herself. Well, maybe it was more Rose's drunken face, she amended her thought.

Ileana turned into an alley, planning to go to some shops that were close enough for Rose to still smell the perfumes of the open market. As she turned, Rose did not seem to realize that they were going in a different direction. She continued forward and knocked into someone. Rose's nose collided with a solid leg and she let out a yelp while falling back, yanking on her friend's hand at the same time.

"What the hell?" the person Rose bumped growled as if he was deeply offended. He turned around and saw the child on the ground, rubbing her sore nose. He growled again, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "Did you just hit me, you little bitch?" he demanded to know as he leaned down and grabbed Rose by the neck.

Rose only gagged as she was gripped tightly by the giant of a man. He was not just tall, but he was thick too. He held her easily and from the pressure that she was feeling on her throat, she was almost certain he could snap her neck in an instant if he felt like it. Rose kicked her feet, trying hard to find ground, even though she knew it was impossible. She was being held at a higher height than she stood. Tears filled her eyes as she seemed to plead "why?" with those golden orbs. He offered no logical explanation. She did not expect one anyway.

"You let Rose go!" Ileana commanded as she came to the scene with her usual fire and outrage. She stood before the man as if she was the one in charge, even though she could tell the man was a rogue. The hardness of his unshaven face and tattered clothing was enough to let her know that she was not dealing with an ordinary fellow, but she was not going to back down and leave her best friend in distress.

Cold green eyes turned from Rose to look down at the Princess and the owner of the eyes smiled. The expression was devilish and Rose could feel her tremors coming as the brute eyed her friend in a demonic manner. Ileana did not seem to be fazed by the stare, though, and only glared back in a way that Rose was sure only the Princess could.

"I said let Rose go!" Ileana ordered in a stern tone. It sounded like a warning. She even pointed a threatening finger at the man.

The man chuckled, an unholy bellow escaping his gut. "You want the little bitch? Here, you can have her!"

He laughed as he "let Rose go" by throwing her into Ileana. The pair collided hard, falling into the alleyway that Ileana had been planning to cut through moments ago. Their unwanted trip halted when Ileana's back crashed into a stone wall. They lay on the moist, dirt ground where they landed; Ileana on her stomach and Rose on her back. The Princess coughed as pain jolted through her, seeming to touch all of her nerves at once. Her eyes went wide with shock as her heart beat louder than ever before. Rose panted, taking in the air that she had been denied because of the scoundrel. The pair lay on the damp ground for a moment and then looked up as the man entered the narrow passageway. He was not done with them yet.

"Hey, doggy, you still owe me an apology," the man decided. An arrogant smirk tugged on his lip like his ratty mustache as he swaggered forward.

"Leave Rose alone!" Ileana commanded, staggering to her feet. Her stance was hunched over because of the agony in her back and chest. Her breathing was heavy. She could not believe how much she was hurting from one hit, but she would not let that stop her. She refused to let him think that he could do whatever he pleased to her friend.

"I want an apology and I will get one," he stated, taking powerful steps toward them. His massive frame blocked out light and others' views from the mouth of the alley. It was as if he called forth darkness with his very presence.

He slapped Ileana out of his path, knocking her into the wall again. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth instantly; the impact of his hand split her bottom lip. She hissed as she collided with the stone, her shoulder contacting an unfriendly rock jotting out of its place and jabbing her in the bone. Tears threatened her eyes while she swallowed down any sob that dared to enter her throat.

The brute turned his attention to the "dog." He loomed over Rose as she was trying to climb to her feet. She was barely up and he wasted no time kicking her in the stomach. She howled as his torn leather footwear crashed against her tiny frame; blood flew out of her mouth as she dropped to her knees, hands planted in the mud for support to keep falling completely over. Her panting sounded almost like sobbing from how heavy it was, bouncing off of the close alley walls, but she did not shed any tears. He did not stop his assault, even though she was down.

"You gonna apologize yet, you filthy mutt?" he demanded, stomping on Rose's small body.

Rose did not make a sound as the hard heel of his shoe smashed against her over and over again. She ended up lying flat on the ground, breathing in the dust and grim, but that did not stop his attack. He seemed intent on breaking her whole body with his hefty foot.

"Leave her alone!" Ileana screamed with raw anger scratching her throat and she threw herself into her friend's assailant.

The Princess slammed with the brute's knees, taking his legs out from under him. He let out a surprised noise as he fell off balance. He tripped over Ileana's body as she landed hard on the dirt, skinning her palms. He partially sat on Ileana, causing her to cry out from the agony that shot through her hip and side. He growled and his face tightened from fury.

"You certainly are a pest, little girl. My only problem was wit' the dog, but now you wanna butt in," he huffed.

Ileana rolled over, planning to get up, but he did not allot her that chance. He snatched her up by the neck as he climbed to his feet. He slammed her into the wall, making her scream again. He then snarled like a wild beast as he strangled her. Ileana's feet kicked and thrashed as she pounded on his thick arm with her small fists, trying to escape his death grip.

"Rose…" Ileana whined in a strained voice. The simple word, even in the low voice, assaulted Rose's sensitive ears, pounding at her mind to keep her conscious.

Rose was lying face down in a small puddle of dirty water and her blood. Her left ear twitched at the sound of her name; the Princess was crying out for her. She struggled to lift her head and what she saw made her gasp. Ileana's always confident face was now full of fear—the fear of dying. Her vibrant eyes were fading, but pleading for someone—Rose—to save her. Rose began to shiver and tears welled up into her eyes. It felt like her heart fell into her stomach, making her think that she might throw up from the sight.

 _Ileana's going to die…_ Rose's mind told her. Of course she knew that, she replied bitterly in her own head. _You're just going to let her? You are worthless, you coward_.

 _I_ _know that too_ , Rose thought. She knew that she was worthless. She could not protect anyone with such little hands, such a tiny body, such a broken will. All she could do was hide behind Ileana, she thought. All she was good for was hiding.

Her heart began to beat hard, contracting almost excruciatingly as she locked eyes with her best friend. Those were eyes that let her know that there was kindness in the human world, eyes that were her sun, her moon, her life. Her body trembled and her soul demanded to know if she was going to just let Ileana go. Would she just lie down and die while losing the only person that mattered to her? If so, then she was truly worthless.

 _Somebody, please…help…_ Rose whimpered, not speaking out loud. She was pleading in her mind, praying that someone walked by and could see the scene, praying that someone, anywhere heard her.

No one was coming, no one heard Rose's silent pleas or Ileana's struggling. Rose was cemented in place, unable to move beyond the shivering that she was certain made her worthless. Her throat seemed to be burned shut; she could not swallow and she could not breathe. Water began to block her vision, but her eyes stayed transfixed on her best friend, whose gaze begged Rose to save her life as it was clearly slipping away.

Ileana's soul seemed to whisper to Rose as it slipped from the Princess' body. The essence implored Rose to move, lest she lose the only person that gave her life meaning, the person that made her want to get up in the morning, the person that was her whole world, her whole universe. Nothing else crossed her mind aside for the fact that she was about to lose everything under the horrid grip of a deranged man.

 _If you let her die…_ Her mind could not even finish the threat. There was nothing to finish. She could not fathom the Princess dying. It was just a sheer impossibility, her mind decided. There was just no way that she could stand by and watch her world snatched from her ever again.

Rose's body continued to shake, but it was starting to feel different from her usual tremors. Her body quivered as if her soul was about to leap from her form. Her spirit felt like it was roaring from the core of her being as her body trembled more. It was like her essence was now fleeing her and mixing with Ileana's escaping life force, only to return to Rose, transforming her into something more, filling her with purpose, completing her. It was more than being touched by Ileana, but something even beyond that, demanding that Rose protect her moon, her world.

The touch that Rose was experiencing went through the rest of her body, making her feel something beyond anything that she had ever felt before. Her blood felt like it was rushing through her body like a raging river of pure lava. Her nerves and skin felt seared, as if she was touched by flames from the sun itself. Her heart beat with an agonizing rhythm, burning and enflamed as if it was being overworked. Her breathing came out in heavy pants, almost like she was trying to breathe fire. She felt a charge coursing through every part of her, her nails, her teeth, and even her hair, but it was not painful. Her body was screaming and singing at the same time.

Her right arm pulsed and it felt like electricity ran from her fingernails to her shoulder. The charge in her body and spirit emigrated to her right arm, building up, going deeper, and aching for release into the world to correct her soul. She pushed herself up off of the ground with her left hand with a force that she did not even know that she possessed. She launched herself at their tormentor, showing off a mouth full of pointy teeth. Her eyes gleaming with hatred as she went at the brute.

"Let her go!" Rose roared like a furious lioness going after an intruder in its pride.

The man did not bother turning to look at Rose. If he did he would have seen what Ileana saw. Ileana's watery eyes widened as Rose came into view. She could hardly believe that she was seeing her best friend because she was too astonished by the fury radiating from her cohort. Rose appeared like some kind of avenging angel, bathed in dazzling flames, flying in to rescue her friend.

Rose leaped up to the height of the man's arm with dangerous ease. The incredible thing was that Rose's hand appeared to be the source of the fire, burning brightly and covering Rose with a glowing halo. Ileana let loose an inaudible gasp and blinked hard to clear her vision, so certain that her eyes were mistaken. She focused on her companion again, seeing everything just the same, letting her know that she was either seeing correctly or her mind was creating an intense illusion complete with the heat of the fire swirling around her friend's limb. Either way, Ileana could not turn away and remained incredulous to what she was witnessing. A bright orange flame hugged a milky hand and guided it right through a sweaty, olive-toned elbow.

No one immediately gathered what happened. Ileana fell to the dust with a hand still clutching her neck while Rose hit the pavement hard, obviously not prepared to land with so much momentum. The fox-eared girl tumbled and ended up on her knees; the flame from her hand was out as soon as she impacted the ground. The man was laughing for a few seconds and then he seemed to realize that he was not holding onto his prey anymore. More importantly, he was missing his arm from the elbow down. His screams could have rivaled Rose's when her reins were pulled. He clutched the stump of his arm, spinning in circles, pouring blood into the already moist earth of the street. After turning pointlessly several times, he focused in on Rose, his eyes wild with pain and fury.

"What the hell did you do to me?" the man screamed as blood dripped to the floor from his partially cauterized wound. The smell of seared flesh filled his nose as it wafted out into the alley. He continued hopping around, as if that would help ease his suffering, but did not go after either child. The spectacle of his agonized dance kept anyone from going into the alley to check on him.

Rose turned in a flash because she was not quite sure what she did. She thought that she might need to go at the rogue again to make sure that he did not harm her friend. She was about to dash at him when the strong scent of burnt tissue assaulted her nose. Her eyes sought out the source of the odor and found it immediately. She saw his hand was missing and he was occupied with wailing his head off, roaring and bawling from the pain. He seemed to think his jerky movements, jumping up and down, and kicking at the dirt would take the agony away.

Rose's eyes then went instantly to her friend and she gasped when she saw where the hand was; it was still wrapped around Ileana's neck. The Princess did not seem to notice because she was more focused on filling her lungs with air. She was hunched over, coughing and breathing with her hands braced against the wall to keep her from falling completely into the mud.

To Rose, Ileana seemed to be fine, so her attention went back to the man. Rose remained on guard, even though she hoped by some miracle the man would run away now that he was minus an arm. She was not sure how she managed to cut his arm off and she was not sure if she would be able to do it again if he still had some fight in him. Apparently, some higher power was listening to her prayers for once, because he suddenly passed out, falling onto his side into the blood-soaked dirt. A choked laugh escaped her throat that sounded much like a sob.

Ileana looked up because of the sound. She saw the brute, motionless in the mud, and her best friend just standing there as if lost. The Princess picked herself up and tore the severed limb from her neck. She bolted over to her best friend and grabbed Rose by the shoulder. She pulled the stunned girl with her, fleeing to some place that she was aware was safe. They retreated to the sea of grass from earlier, sitting behind a bush, hiding from the world.

"Rose…how did you do that?" Ileana asked, amazed as she stared down at her friend's right hand.

"I…don't know…" Rose admitted in a low, confused voice. Her eyes were focused on her hand, searching for some physical answer as to why she was able cut someone's arm off.

Rose suddenly growled in pain, closing her eyes. She gritted her teeth as agony shot through, originating in the fingertips of her right hand before centering in her wrist. She quickly moved to hold her right wrist with her left hand.

"Rose, are you okay?" the Princess asked with curled eyebrows and wide eyes. She took her friend's hand into her own. She rubbed soothing circles with her thumb across Rose's pained wrist.

"It's hurting…!" Rose snarled from the sheer misery. "It's like having my wrist torn open!"

Ileana was not sure what to do and only watched as strange black markings started to appear on Rose's skin. Rose felt her wrist throbbing as it felt like her muscles were being shredded. A black circle appeared on the underside of Rose's wrist, about the size of a small coin. Outside the circle, four small, wave-like lines appeared, as if they were the points on a compass. It looked like Rose had a charcoal-colored tattoo now.

The fox-eared child breathed a sigh of relief and panted a little. "It stopped hurting."

"That's good," Ileana whispered and she sighed in relief of her own. Her thumb went back to caressing Rose's wrist.

The Princess set her gaze upward now, taking in her comrade's bruised and battered face. Rose knew Ileana's eyes were on her, so she met her friend's gaze with her own, taking in the Princess' flushed appearance. They stared at each other for a long moment.

"You saved my life," Ileana said as if it was normal occurrence.

Rose smiled shyly, not believing it herself. She blushed and had to look away. The smile faded as she replayed the events in her mind. She looked back at her friend, sorrow now in her golden eyes. She put her hand up, placing it on the Princess' dirty, wet cheek.

"I got you hurt…" Rose pointed out. Her eyes were now moist with tears of shame. _I should've been watching where I was going!_

"You cannot be blamed for someone else's harsh actions. You saved my life, Rose. It is that simple," Ileana stated soundly.

The look in her eyes ordered her friend not to argue with her on the matter. Rose nodded, unable to think of anything to say. Ileana cupped Rose's face in her hands, gently caressing smudged cheeks with her thumbs.

"You were very brave…" Ileana promised her friend, sounding much like the fair damsels speaking to kindly knights in stories that she read with Miss Olga. They were supposed to help her understand how a lady was expected to act, but she rarely exercised any lessons.

A blush was the smaller girl's only reply. She was not brave in her opinion. She was panicked and frightened. She did not know what came over her, what caused her to act, or even what caused fire to come out of her arm. The only thing on her mind had been making sure that Ileana did not die and she had no clue where her movements came from after that.

"I'm just glad you're all right," Rose said and she embraced her friend tightly. Ileana's safety was all that mattered to her right now. She would wonder about her right hand later on.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls have to return home after this incident.


	13. 12: Out of the frying pan

12: Out of the frying pan

Ileana and Rose remained sitting in the sea of grass that separated the city-at-large from the upper-class area. They were examining each other's faces and the Princess was foraging in her mind for a plausible excuse for Miss Olga when they finally returned to the palace. She was not finding much, which she knew was not good.

"We are in so much trouble…" Ileana whispered with dread.

Rose knew that already. She sighed and looked at the ground, thinking that she was probably experiencing her last day of life. _Miss Olga will see Ileana's bruised face and busted lip and know immediately that it's my fault_ , Rose thought. The governess would then kill her and chop her body up into little pieces to have with breakfast in the morning; she was so certain of that that it made her stomach twist into knots.

"How do you feel, Rose?" Ileana asked curiously, noticing her friend's downtrodden expression. It looked like the smaller girl was about to throw up.

"Fine…" Rose lied. Her body ached as if she had been thrown out of a high window and hit solid stone in the landing. Her heart was ready to just give up the ghost because she knew that she was as good as dead when they returned to the palace.

"Maybe we could sneak in and clean up before anyone notices. Maybe there is even some water around here," Ileana said, trying her best to sound hopeful. She put on her best bright expression, but her eyes were laced with worry.

Rose nodded, even though she desired to point out that water was not going to wash away the bruises on the Princess' face and neck. Ileana climbed to her feet and grabbed her friend by the hand. She pulled Rose away to go search for water.

Both of their hearts pounded heavy in their ears, sounding quite deafening. Their lungs were labored and not from the movement or from the beating that they had just received. Ileana had to hold in tears as she was unsuccessful in finding water, until a light went off in her head.

"The fountains!" the Princess recalled. The city was covered in fountains for drinking water and to cool the city in warm weather. She just needed to get to one.

Rose had trouble keeping up with being towed as Ileana broke into a dead run. When they arrived at a huge, white stone fountain, Rose was almost certain that she would pass out. Before she could catch her breath, Ileana was splashing her with wonderfully cold water. She looked up with a confused expression at first, stunned that she was being splashed. Once she realized what was going on, she relaxed and that allowed Ileana to wipe her face.

Rose's whole body seemed to calm down as Ileana gently took the grim from her face with tender strokes from her soft hand. The Princess took her time, making sure that she cleaned Rose's face as well as she could. Even when she was done, she took a few extra moments to just caress her friend's face before pulling her hand away. Sometimes, Ileana marveled at how much she enjoyed simply touching Rose.

The children did not notice as people walked by, staring at them. No one stopped to look on for more than a few seconds. It was odd to see someone cleaning a dog, yes, but everyone dismissed it as something silly a child would do.

"Thank you…" Rose whispered. They were both aware that the words went well beyond the simple task of washing her face. Ileana was being thanked for being there for Rose all the time, for caring about Rose all of the time.

Ileana did not say anything, but put her hand back to Rose's cheek. She kept her eyes locked on her fox-eared friend's battered face, gently wiping away dirt and grim gathered from their fight. When she was done, she felt the compulsion to place a soft kiss to a pale cheek and did not fight the impulse. Rose, of course, blushed from the affection.

"You look better," Ileana announced in a low tone. Of course "better" was not saying much.

Rose was no longer dirty, but her creamy features were bruised a dark maroon and her clothing was still caked with mud. Unfortunately, they could not do anything about that…unless of course Rose had another trick up her sleeve aside for the ability to set her hand on fire. From the look on the smaller girl's face, Ileana was pretty sure that her friend was all out of miracles.

 _And I do not think I have any miracles at all_ , Ileana thought. She could only imagine what that would mean when they got back to the palace. She had no ideas to get them out of trouble. Her musings were interrupted as Rose started to return the favor and wash her face for her.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose could not help wondering why knowing something was coming did not lessen the impact, at least in some small manner. She knew that Miss Olga was going to do the worst possible thing short of killing her, but that did not stop it from hurting. Thankfully, she passed out from the shock after Miss Olga used _all of those words_ , activating both her wrist manacles and collar. She woke up on a cold stone floor, not sure where she was, with her body in such pain that she wished she was dead.

None of her senses were working fully, so all she really could do was lie there. She could not even bring her arms up enough to hug herself. In fact, the only movement from her limbs were occasional spasms and twitching. Her eyes refused to cry while she trembled uncontrollably and sniffed. She was vaguely aware of a metallic taste in her mouth, unaware that her nose was bleeding twin cascades to her top lip. A pool of sweat and blood surrounded her limp form.

"Oh, child, I warn ya," she dimly heard Fry's disappointed and concerned voice.

Rose could not even turn into the embrace as she felt Fry's familiar arms around her inflamed body. Physically, the hug only added to her pain, but in every other way, it was just what she needed.

"I hope ya learn now. You gone be down here for month. It's The Cage. We stay here," Fry reported in a whisper. Her voice cracked from trying to hold back tears as she took in the shattered, small body in her arms. _How could anyone do this to a child?_

By "we," Fry meant the daijinn that worked in the palace. There were close to a hundred of them, living in the belly of the palace. The smell of mold and the sewers assaulted their sensitive noses; Rose would share in the disgust when her body returned to normal. If their eyes were not adjusted to gather as much light as possible, they would wander the place blind because of poor lighting. They lived in dingy tents and slept on straw or forgotten rags. The humans called the place "The Cage" because that was where the "dogs" were kept.

"I take care of you," Fry promised in a whisper as she started to stroke the girl's hair and holding her fiercely, like nothing would ever be able to take the child from her arms. She knew that she was the only one that would take care of Rose. No one wanted to touch Rose and risk angering Miss Olga after the thin woman dumped the unconscious girl in there, commanding everyone to stay away from her.

Rose did not respond; she could not respond. The first thing that came into her mind when the pain started to subside was her friend. _How's Ileana?_

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was curled up in her bed, bawling into one of her many pillows. It was a pillow on the side of the bed that Rose usually slept on. Despite the millions of very believable explanations that she had come up with for why her face was bruised and her lip was swollen, Miss Olga had not believed any of them. She thought that at least with the law of averages the older woman would take one and run with it, but no such luck.

As punishment, Miss Olga had snatched Rose right from her arms, pulling poor Rose by her ear. Ileana had screamed at Miss Olga with such fury that her face had turned the brightest red, like it was going to explode from all of the blood rushing there. The effort had all in vain; the governess took her best friend and told her that she would have to do without Rose for a month. She had collapsed to the floor as soon as Rose was gone.

"I want…I want Rose back," Ileana wept into the soft, circular pillow that was so coated in her friend's scent that she could smell it clearly and distinctly. It was something that was unique and could only be described as "Rose."

Inhaling the sweet aroma caused Ileana's breath to hitch in her chest before she let loose another gut-wrenching sob. She started coughing because she was crying too hard. As soon as that fit passed, she went back to bawling. Her face was slowly tainted a dark scarlet from weeping, but the burning in her cheeks did not stop her.

"Princess," Miss Olga said as she entered the room, thinking that the child would have ceased her "little temper tantrum" by now.

"Get out!" Ileana roared. Her mind demanded to know _how dare that woman come in the room after what she did? How dare that woman even address me after what she did?_

"Princess—" Miss Olga ceased her words as she was assaulted by a pillow from across the room. The pillow hit the governess directly in the chest with a lot of force. Who knew the Princess had such a good arm?

"Get out!" Ileana screamed so harshly that it hurt her already sore throat. She flung another pillow, one from her side of the bed.

Miss Olga put her arm up to avoid getting slapped in the face by the downy projectile. Just as she was about to scold Ileana for such unladylike behavior, she was knocked with another pillow. _Just how many of those things does the Princess have?_

"I do not care what you have to say! Do not come in here unless you have Rose with you!" Ileana commanded, loading up another pillow in her arsenal. Really, she could keep it up almost a dozen more times if she used all of her pillows, except for the one with Rose's scent. That one she had in a death grip, clutching it to her chest.

Miss Olga took her leave as ordered and left the Princess to her "temper tantrum." Ileana turned in her bed, gripping the pillow tighter than ever before, and continued to cry until she was dehydrated. Even when the tears ceased, she let out silent sobs, her body shaking with despair and misery.

"They take everything, my mother, Rose, my brother…" she hissed heatedly to the night air. Her mother had been gone for months and in that time she had seen her brother a total of five times; three of those times came with Rose's help. She could not figure out why that was and stopped trying to rationalize a while ago. She was not sure what she would do without Rose for a month, but she suspected the pain that she would have to endure would be similar to the agonies she suffered with the absence of her mother and being denied her brother.

Ileana fell asleep shortly after her tears dried up. She was exhausted from the day and the scent wafting from the pillow in her arms helped relax her somewhat. Moments after falling asleep, Ileana was visited by strange dreams. She was surrounded by every flower imaginable, except for roses. Petals were raining down on her, making the sky seem like was covered by a flurry of rainbows. She could hear voices, but could not see the owners of the voices. On instinct, she knew the voices belonged to her and Rose, but she could not hear what they were talking about. She realized that the reason that she could not see herself, even though it seemed like she was far away, was because she was in her body and _she_ was doing the talking. She could not see Rose either, but she could not figure out why that was. She thought that she might be facing away from the shorter girl.

Ileana did know that she and her friend were talking to each other. Well, it was more like she was talking and Rose was chiming in every now and then, like always. She spoke with her usual excitement and Rose seemed to be enthused as well.

The Princess smiled in her sleep and unconsciously snuggled deeper into the pillow that she held onto.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose yelped, sounding like a startled cat, as she was tackled by an obviously excited Ileana. She barely got a foot in the bedroom before the Princess hit her at a surprising speed and force. Her semi-clean face was showered with kisses from Ileana's soft lips. Servants all looked away; Ileana and Rose really did not even notice that they were there anyway. Ileana did not care what the servants saw anyway.

After a few minutes, Ileana finally disentangled herself from Rose, letting the smaller girl up. They both climbed to their feet, smiles on their faces. Ileana's expression changed immediately when she finally took in her friend's face.

"Rose, what happened to your eye!" Ileana demanded to know as her eyebrows bent inward, wrinkling her forehead, and she reached out to cup her friend's face. Rose was sporting a fresh black-eye, which looked horrible against her pasty skin.

Rose shrugged, as if she did not know. It was pretty obvious that something happened to her. Ileana sighed; she knew that she was not going to get an explanation until the room was empty. She hoped that she could wait that long. It took all of her self-control to avoid badgering her dear friend into spilling everything about what happened involving her new injury.

It seemed like an eternity before all of the servants exited and the two friends were alone. They were supposed to be going to bed. They pretended to settle down for sleep as the last of the servants left, but as soon as the final woman was out of the room, Ileana got up. She grabbed Rose by the hand and tugged her out onto the balcony. The moonlight shined down on them, giving Rose an almost angelic glow thanks to her pale skin; her friend failed to notice the effect.

"Look at your eye. This is horrible. What happened?" Ileana inquired in a soft tone, inspecting her friend's injury with great care as if she was a medical professional. A chocolate finger lightly traced the outline of the bruise rounding the golden eye.

"It's okay. Fry was taking care of it before I got brought back up here," Rose vaguely explained in quite the sheepish tone. She glanced away for a moment, eyes brimming with shame.

"That does not explain what happened. Now, tell me what happened," Ileana commanded in her best impersonation of her father. After all, he always got answers, so she figured there had to be something to the way that he spoke. Once she got the information that she desired, she would figure out how to punish the person that harmed her best friend.

"I got hit," Rose replied with a shrug, like it did not matter. As far as she was concerned, it did not matter. The only thing that mattered was that she was back with Ileana, someone's whose presence alone cured all of her ills.

"Who hit you and why?" Ileana growled, frustrated with both her companion and the injury. _Whoever hit my dearest Rose is going to be severely punished!_

"It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. Let's just go lie down and go to sleep, like always," Rose muttered. _Being hit was probably my fault anyway_ , Rose mentally conceded. She had been hit quite a few times while she was away, sometimes she got explanations and sometimes she did not, but she was always left understanding that it was because of something that she did that got her struck. She knew that before going down to The Cage; it was always her fault.

Ileana's eyes started to glisten and burn as tears welled up in them. She leaned her forehead against Rose's forehead and sniffled a bit, signally that she was going to cry. Rose's heart broke at the sound.

"I wish you were not hurt," Ileana said. "I wish you would just tell me what happened." _I wish I could save you from all that harms you!_

For some reason, Rose just could not bring herself to tell her friend what happened, that she was punched in the face by one of her own kind who wanted nothing to do with her. It was not the first time it happened; she was hit for being too close to the other daijinn or looking at them or anything that might make it seem like they were associated with her. She overheard Fry refer to her as a pariah while she was down in The Cage and that was why no one wanted anything to do with her, why they looked through her, and why they beat her. She did not know what it was, but from the throbbing in her eyes, she knew it was not a good thing.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'm not hurt. It just looks really bad," Rose lied. It was still hurting quite a bit, even after several treatments from her temporary caretaker.

"You sure?" Ileana asked shyly.

"I'm sure. So, let's just go to bed and maybe tomorrow we could go run around in the city or something," Rose suggested.

Ileana's eyebrows knotted together, creasing her smooth brown forehead. "You want to go back into the city?"

Rose nodded. She just wanted something to be right for her. She embraced Ileana, causing the tears in the Princess' eyes to fall. She reached up and gently wiped away the wayward water. This was right for her, she was certain of that.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana could not believe they were back outside so soon, and making it stranger was the fact that it was not her idea. She could not deny that just stepping outside of the palace had made her nervous. Her heart was pounding so hard and heavy that she could barely hear anything aside for the loud tattoo. _What if something goes wrong again?_

Anxious thoughts were taken from her mind as Rose took her hand and led them down the pathway that they knew so well. They walked through the streets of the wealthy district, Rose tugging Ileana for the first time out. The towing worked until they got to a familiar wall and a familiar scent assaulted Rose, causing her to stop.

"I need to know what that smell is," Rose decided, speaking aloud. It was so powerful, as if it was trying to pull her through the wall that separated them.

"Rose, we do not have much time. Perhaps we should just continue on," Ileana pointed out, some nervousness daring to sneak out of her throat. She swallowed the rest of the anxiety that she was feeling, reminding herself that she was bold and daring. _I do not fear anything_.

"We'll get to the city. Let me just…" Rose trailed off. She studied the wall, knowing there was no way that she would be able to leap up the thing. "I wonder…"

"Rose…" Ileana said tentatively. She was a little apprehensive thanks to her friend's unusual behavior and it showed on her face.

The smaller girl did not seem to be paying attention to her companion. Instead, she backed away from the wall, going to the edge of the street. She then charged the wall and took a flying leap, going higher than she thought she would (and higher than Ileana thought possible), and slapping face-front into the stone. Ileana grimaced and looked away while her friend crashed into the ground, looking like a swatted fly.

"Are you done hurting yourself?" Ileana asked curiously, trying her best to hold in a laugh. Yes, she was concerned if Rose was hurt, but if a person could not laugh at such a silly stunt, that person was dead as far as she was concerned.

"No," Rose answered honestly. "I'm getting over that wall," she said with determination oozing off of her.

Ileana giggled a little. "How about we try to find another way in if you really want to see what smells so good over there?" she suggested. The last thing she needed was for Rose to end up with another black eye, and that one would be from her own obvious insanity.

The golden-eyed girl leaped to her feet, tail swaying behind her, while the Princess started looking for some way in that did not involve trying to vault over the wall. Something almost immediately caught the Princess' sharp hazel eyes—a tree. The tree was thick and close to the wall. She figured that they might be able to climb the tree and maybe hop onto the wall.

"Come on, Rose." Ileana snatched her friend by the hand and practically yanked her over to the tree.

Despite the rough treatment, Rose could not help smiling because her friend was back to normal. The shorter child looked up at the tree as they came to a stop. Ileana also looked up at the tree, realizing that it was taller than the wall. In fact, it looked like it was a monster tree in height and in circumference. The color drained from her face and her heart rate was speeding up again.

"You okay? You look sick," Rose commented, taking in her companion's paling features.

"I am fine," Ileana lied. _What am I getting myself into?_ She did not even know how to climb a tree!

"You know, climbing trees isn't that hard," Rose informed her cohort. She was pretty sure that she was climbing trees right after taking her first steps.

"Are you sure?" Ileana asked, eyes transfixed on the tree that seemed huge to her. It might as well be a mountain in her opinion.

"Yeah. Watch."

Rose leaped at the tree and took to it like a squirrel, complete with her tail keeping her balanced. She climbed the trunk with ease, not even needing to use the branches. She made it to the top of the wall before turning her attention back down to her friend. Ileana's face looked ready to slide off to the ground. _She called that "not hard"?_

"You coming up?" Rose inquired with her eyebrows curled upward in curiosity.

"How could you expect me to do that? How did you even do that?" Ileana countered with a slight huff.

The smaller child's head went back a little as her face scrunched up, mild confusion locked in her golden eyes. She leaped back down to the ground, landing with all of the grace that a cat would possess. Ileana folded her arms across her chest, waiting for her explanation on how her friend climbed that huge tree with such ease.

"It's easy. Like this." Rose stuck her hand into the tree and Ileana's mouth fell open in a decidedly un-princess-like fashion. Rose's hand appeared to be equipped with claws and she was digging those into the tree.

"Rose, how did you do that?" Ileana asked, right after she finally got her jaw working properly enough to talk.

"Uh…what do you mean? You just flex your hand…" Rose held up her free hand. "…and your claws come out." Her short fingernails grew almost an inch long and became deadly sharp. Ileana jumped as the nails made a small hissing noise, as if ordering someone to be quiet.

"Rose…I do not have claws," Ileana informed her friend. In fact, she had never met anyone with claws until Rose had to go and surprise her.

"You don't have claws?" Rose echoed as if she thought such a thing was impossible. And then she recalled that her friend's eyes did not glow in the dark either, which she speculated explained why Ileana had such poor night vision. There was also the fact that Ileana did not have a tail or triangular ears, so she supposed that it made sense for Ileana to not have claws too.

"No, Rose, I do not have claws. I did not know you had any. How long have you had these things?" Ileana inquired, focusing on the claws digging into the tree.

"I've had them all my life. I thought everyone had them. Okay, I tell you what, you hold onto my neck and I'll climb up there with you on my back," Rose offered as if it was so simple.

Ileana looked quite skeptical. "You are going to hold me?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. I doubt you weigh that much," the smaller child reasoned, taking in her friend's appearance.

"And? I am still taller than you and I am sure that I weigh more. I do not understand how you could carry me when I weigh more than you," the Princess pointed out.

"I don't think you weigh that much more than me and I lift heavy things in the kitchen. I'm a lot stronger than I look," Rose promised with a proud smile.

Ileana sighed and nodded ever-so slightly; the movement almost slipped by her friend. Rose's face lit up with a bright grin. Ileana wrapped her arms around Rose's neck and took a deep breath.

"Hold on tight," Rose said.

"I am," the Princess replied, securing her grip. She definitely was going to hold on as tightly as she could because she was not looking to be dropped halfway up.

The fox-eared child then leaped in the air, going surprisingly high for a tiny child with a bigger girl on her back. She tore into the tree with her claws and pulled them up the tree, still with all the ease of a squirrel. Although to the Princess, she thought of her friend climbing more like a cat. After a few grunts and growls from Rose, they were at the branch that was at height with the wall.

"That is rather far," Ileana noticed as she looked at the distance between the branch and the wall.

"I'll make it," Rose said and then she took another jump without even warning her friend.

Ileana nearly screamed as Rose leaped onto the wall. The Princess instinctively held her companion tighter as they sailed through the air. The wall was thick enough for Rose to land on with ease and stand without worry. She was careful as she eased Ileana off her back and the Princess was able to slowly move to the side of her friend. They were now able to peer into the world beyond the wall and find out what had Rose's attention every time that they walked by. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open.

"Wow…" they muttered in sheer awe.

They were gazing into a vast ocean of flowers. The colors seemed infinite, stretching on forever like a rainbow sky. Without thinking, Rose grabbed Ileana by the hand and hopped down into the garden. The Princess yelped in surprise, not even getting a chance to be afraid since Rose was acting so impulsively. By the time Ileana realized Rose had jumped, they were secure on the ground.

"So…this is why it smells so nice," Rose commented, staring around at all of the flowers. Leaning forward already, she knew that her nose was about to take charge of her.

"Not a rose in sight…" Ileana smiled and then she grabbed her friend's hand, which kept Rose from bolting off. "Well, one rose that I do not mind being around," the Princess added, eyes shining from happiness.

Rose smiled and they started to take a stroll. Ileana took the lead now, pulling her friend through the massive garden. It was like being in a thick forest of beautiful flowers and the friends seemed to glide through the haven. They suddenly stopped and Ileana's eyes seemed as they were locked onto paradise.

"Such lovely irises," Ileana whispered almost as if she thought speaking louder would send the flowers into retreat.

Rose made a curious face with a noise to go with it. The Princess turned to her companion and took note of the puzzled feelings wrinkling her pale forehead. She laughed a little, finding her companion to be the definition of cute when she was confused.

"Irises are my favorite flowers. They come in so many different colors and shapes. They have many different forms, unlike roses. Look, these look somewhat like you," Ileana said as they came across flowers that she knew to be irises, but she had never seen any quite like them.

The irises were black and red, like Rose's hair. The red, a deep crimson, circled the inner petals while coal black clung to the edges. Golden yellow spots appeared on the petals as if they had been dripped there. A thin band of bright green traced the outside of the yellow dots, like jade hugging gold.

"Maybe I should be an iris then," Rose remarked, making a joke for perhaps the first time in her life—as far as she could remember anyway.

"You can be my iris. You are far too wonderful to be a rose anyway. So, from this moment on, you are not only the only rose I will ever like, but also my very favorite iris," Ileana declared with a loving smile.

The friends stood there, hand in hand, taking in the scene, breathing in the scene, and enjoying the experience the only way that they knew how to enjoy something: by being together.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: fast forward in time, these two actually survive to become teenagers.


	14. Part II  13: Coming out

Part II

13: Coming out

Ileana thought that it was a miracle that she made it to her fifteenth birthday. She was certain that Miss Olga or her father would have killed her by now, but amazingly enough, there she was, fifteen years old. She glanced across her bedroom and, equally amazing, there was Rose, alive too. The Princess could not help wondering, who would have thought that they would live to their teens? She did not mean it to be morbid, but she knew that when they were children, they had tempted fate many times. And, showing how low their learning curve was, she knew that they would tempt it many more.

Ileana sat up in her bed, her long raven hair dropped around her chocolate face like a silk curtain. The thin strap of her sleeveless, deep red nightgown slipped down her shoulder, dipping enough to show that she was starting to develop into quite the young woman. Soon enough, the nobles of the city would know that too, as she had a coming out party that she was not looking forward to. It meant that she would be "introduced" to the rest of noble society and they would be able to get to know her and she would be able to get to know them.

 _But, at least my little iris will be there,_ Ileana thought with a smile, eyes locked on a sleeping Rose. She could not tell if Rose was having a peaceful sleep or not because she had a sort of indifferent expression on her face, even in her sleep.

Rose was curled on her bed, which was still a sofa. They had been discouraged from sharing a bed a couple of years ago. Ileana was not quite sure why, but Miss Olga and her father had been very insistent that Rose would either sleep on that sofa or outside of the room for the rest of her life. Ileana picked the sofa for her friend and Rose thankfully agreed with that.

The fox-eared teen had kicked her covers off, as Ileana knew she did whenever she had a nightmare. Ileana decided to offer her friend some comfort and at least a smooth awakening with the hope that it would make up for the nightmares. She climbed to her feet, not bothering to fix her nightgown. The smooth crimson gown fell to her feet almost like a dress, but hugged her tall, lean frame with the intensity of strong arms. She knelled down by the head of the couch, putting herself on level with her dear friend. She moved so close to her friend that they were a hair away from touching.

Rose was whimpering in a very low tone; it was the most noise that she ever made in her sleep and even when Ileana used to sleep right next to her, she barely ever heard it. Her pale face barely moved, even when she moaned and groaned; it was like the sounds were being kept in her throat and only a tiny bit was able to escape. Despite the fact that Rose had kicked the covers off of her, it did not sound like she was having a totally unpleasant sleep.

Ileana took in her friend's face, considering how Rose actually looked older than she was, even though she liked to believe that she was older than Rose. Rose appeared mature, almost an adult. To Ileana, her friend looked like a woman while she felt like she still appeared to be in transition.

The Princess considered her companion's face and thought that Rose might look older because her hair had gotten so long. Rose's dual-colored mane was almost to the middle of her back, either by design or neglect; Ileana was not sure because Rose never complained about her hair length, so it was plausible that Rose wanted it that long. Ileana put her hand out and gently pushed some crimson and onyx strands out of her friend's creamy face.

Rose whimpered again and moved her head to press into the smooth hand on her cheek. Ileana watched intently, eyes focused on what Rose was doing. The Princess' heart rate increased with each second that past as Rose moved against her hand. Her breath hitched in her chest a few time before she suddenly started breathing faster. She had to swallow hard, hoping that it would regulate her breathing.

"Rose…" Ileana whispered, feeling that she had to wake her friend before her lungs gave up because of the stress being placed on them.

The smaller teen whined and her face twitched a bit. Her mind was screaming for sleep; she did not want to wake up yet! Still, the images that made her want to remain asleep began to fade, so she supposed that she might as well wake up completely. Her eyes fluttered opened and she was greeted by silk-covered cleavage. Her mouth dropped open and a low hum escaped her throat. She wondered if she was still asleep.

"Come on, Rose. It is time to get up. I swear, it gets harder and harder to wake you every morning," Ileana commented, forcing out a laugh to go with the smile that she had on her face.

Rose grunted; sometimes, she had very pleasant dreams that she disliked being taken from, which was why she was so hard to get up on certain mornings. Her sleeps were either filled with wonderful, though puzzling, dreams that made her want to stay asleep forever or horrible, nightmares of the past that made her never want to shut her eyes again. It was always those extremes and they could make for wild nights if she had a dream followed by a nightmare or visa versa.

"Come on, we can have a bath and breakfast together before having to separate," the Princess informed her friend and that got the shorter female out of bed. Ileana knew that would work.

They were still allowed to bathe together, even though Miss Olga tried to cut that out. It was not abnormal for people to share baths in their culture and it was something that the friends had done since they were first introduced, so Ileana had been extremely bewildered when Miss Olga tried to get her out of the habit. She was pretty sure that her persistent questioning of the matter was what eventually ran Miss Olga off. It was a curious thing, but Ileana brushed it off, knowing that Rose was not Miss Olga's favorite person.

"Are you ready for the party tonight?" Ileana asked Rose, causing the fox-eared girl to turn to her in a lazy manner.

"Party?" Rose echoed, even though she knew what her companion was talking about. She offered a small smile, which was her answer.

"Come on, you. Let's get cleaned up and ready for the horrible day ahead of us," the Princess said, playfully wrapping her arms around her cohort.

-8-8-8-8-

"Princess, I think that you should reconsider this notion of taking your dog…" Miss Olga paused as Ileana glared at her while three servants were dressing Ileana in her party garments. The governess took a deep breath and then corrected herself. "I think you should reconsider taking _Rose_ to this gathering. She will be out of place there."

"I will have my Rose with me. She will be fine. I would rather have a familiar face with me than to look onto a sea of strangers without this familiar presence," Ileana explained, making sure to stand perfectly still. She was not looking to be scolded while being dressed for a party that she would rather not attend. It would only add to the annoyance of it all. _At least Rose will be with me_.

"You will get to know these strangers," Miss Olga argued, her usual stern glare cast on her stubborn charge. She was not sure how she survived all of these years, considering how Ileana almost never cooperated with her father's wishes.

"If so, then they will get to know Rose also. She could use the contact. I hear that she is still shunned in the kitchens, after all," the Princess retorted, eyes looking back at her governess through a long mirror in front of her.

Miss Olga did not confirm or deny that. In her opinion, the "dog" was treated much better than she should be. Yes, the other "dogs" of the kitchen shunned her and they would continue to do so if they were wise and disliked pain, she believed. Rose caused enough trouble on her own in her opinion; she did not need any other dogs helping her out.

"Speaking of Rose, when is she going to be brought up here? I want to see her in a dress before we have to leave," Ileana commented, a smile graced her face and her whole demeanor brightened.

Miss Olga frowned and her voice came out almost tartly as she replied. "She is being brought here as we speak. She has to be cleaned before you can see her."

"If you did not send her down to the kitchens for the morning, we would not have to worry about that," Ileana mildly snapped.

Miss Olga did not respond, finding that Ileana's bite came out more the older she got. She could only imagine what Ileana would be like when she was eighteen, not that she would have to worry about the girl after that. Miss Olga knew that once Ileana was eighteen, her father would be pushing her into a diplomatic marriage of some kind and then Ileana would be taken from the city to some distant country. Sometimes, she missed her charge already, even with the attitude. _Maybe I could go off with her, as an attendant...to keep her out of trouble and make sure she behaves like a lady_.

By the time Rose was brought in, Ileana was almost finished being put into her dress. Rose almost burst out laughing when she saw the outfit, but she caught herself. The Princess, practically telepathic when it came to her shorter friend, glared at the fox-eared girl. Rose averted her eyes to the floor, but peeked up at the Princess from underneath her long eyelashes

Ileana was wearing a form fitting white gown that Rose was sure they had to pour her into like chocolate milk. The dress was covered in red and pink outline designs of roses, which Rose knew her friend was silently fuming over. Servants were trying to straighten out a half-jacket that went with the dress, which was held up by thin straps that crisscrossed at the back. The jacket was pink with white outlines of roses on it.

Rose was not sure why, but after she got in her initial silent chuckle, her heart started to beat rapidly as she watched the finishing touches of Ileana's outfit. She found herself wondering if the servants had put one of those corsets on Ileana; she had seen them do on some occasions. And then suddenly, she wished that she had been there to see it again. She quickly shook those thoughts away and willed her heart to behave. Now was not the time to act weird, she told herself.

While the servants started in on doing Ileana's hair, a pair grabbed Rose and she knew that it was her turn to be dolled up. Rose had only dressed up on three occasions, all of which were some of Ileana's past birthdays. From those experiences, she could guess how the night of this "coming out" party was going to go. She would be thrown into a formal outfit of silk—only the best for her if the servants did not want to hear Ileana's hollering—and she would stand next to Ileana for the entire night while Ileana sat on her royal throne next to her father, who apparently was too good to socialize with anyone.

Rose's clothing was never nearly as elaborate as Ileana's attire, mostly because no one trusted her in a gown since they knew what kind of trouble Rose could get into. In fact, the servants had put her in a dress all of one time and it did not end well; the dress barely survived the night. Rose had not liked it much and said so to Ileana, who vowed that she would never have her best friend in a dress again since Rose was not comfortable in them. For this occasion, Rose wore wide-legged, silk indigo pants with a matching silk, long sleeve shirt, and over the shirt was a white long vest with the royal family crest on it, almost as if she was part of the staff. She often supposed that her title was "Maid in charge of getting the Princess in trouble." Of course, she knew that Ileana really did not need help with getting into trouble, just a warm body to tag along; she was always happy to be that warm body.

Rose was ready before Ileana since her hair was only brushed and left hanging. Ileana was sitting through her hair being put up and decorated with all sorts of rose-shaped ornaments. Then there was the last most important piece, which was the diamond-encrusted tiara. Ileana looked into Rose's eyes and saw the statement that the fox-eared girl wanted to say.

"Thank you. You look beautiful too," Ileana replied to her friend's eyes.

Rose smiled softly while the Princess offered her arm. Rose wasted no time linking her arm to Ileana's limb. The pair walked off with Miss Olga right behind them, glaring at the interlocked limbs as if trying to burn them both with her hard gaze. A chill ran down Rose's spine, letting her know that she was being glared at by Miss Olga, but that was not enough to get her to release the Princess.

While they were so close, Rose took in the Princess' scent. Buried underneath all of the flowery perfume, she was able to locate the soothing aroma that was unique to Ileana. Taking in the smell as if it was more precious than air, it kept Rose's insides from quivering at the thought of being in front of the King and dozens of other humans.

"My little iris, you should not be nervous. You have been to these sorts of functions before," Ileana whispered into a furry, pointed ear.

Rose nodded dumbly, focusing more on the breath on her ear than the words being said. The breath carried a much deeper message than the words anyway; the breath let her know that she was secure and caused a warm feeling to flow through her body. The feeling reminded her body that Ileana was there and there was no reason for her to fall apart, even if she was going to be surrounded by strange humans. Her mantra for the night, as it was for any gathering, was that Ileana was there and Ileana would protect her.

The duo entered the ballroom standing tall and cool, even when all eyes turned to them. The room was full already. Ileana was expected to make an entrance, to be announced, and then they both thought that she would sit next to her father for the whole night. But, he surprised her when she went to take her seat.

"Ileana, go mingle with your guests. You should get to know the nobles of the future," Vladimir informed his daughter in a low, smooth tone.

"Mingle?" Ileana echoed, almost as if she did not know what it meant. Her brain was digging up the definition at that very moment: mingle—to mix, combine, and in social terms: to join in and associate. _My father_ _is allowing_ _me to associate with others_ _my age? Maybe he is ill_ , she thought.

"Yes, mingle. Feel free to speak with these young people and get to know them. Just remember that they are your subjects, not your friends. And you have to leave the dog," Vladimir commanded. His voice was harsh on that last sentence.

"Leave Rose?" Ileana gasped as if he just suggested the most appalling thing ever and he would have had better luck requesting she throw herself out of a window. She pulled her companion to her, hugging her around the neck as if the smaller female was a cuddle toy. Ileana had grown much over the years and dwarfed Rose's compact form by a whole head.

"Ileana, remove your hands from around her at once," Vladimir snarled his order and glared down at her with a fury. He could not believe her rash and inappropriate behavior in front of so many people.

"I will not. I will not leave my little iris behind," Ileana declared with her head held high and her embrace as strong as ever.

The King growled; he hated who her nicknames for her mutt sounded like terms of endearment. "Do not call her that ridiculous name. Release her. She will remain here and accompany you back to your room at the end of this evening," he stated soundly in a tone that she knew not to argue with or he would begin to threaten her.

Ileana scowled, but she turned her attention to Rose. The look in the golden eyes said everything, telling Ileana to go on and she would be fine. Ileana sighed and nodded, showing that she understood. Her arms did linger on her smaller friend for a little while longer, but she then went off to mingle. Rose stepped off to the side and practically hid behind Ileana's empty throne.

The night seemed to go on forever for Rose as she stared out into the vast field of people. Her eyes locked only on Ileana, watching who she was with and what she did with them. A frown stayed on her lips and a growl took lodging in her throat as she watched others touching _her_ Ileana, making _her_ Ileana laugh, and trying so hard for _her_ Ileana's attention. Her blood boiled and then she realized that she had been calling the Princess "hers" in her mind.

 _Am I becoming_ this _possessive of her?_ Rose asked herself. Her mind scoffed and assured her that it was quite normal to be _that_ possessive of Ileana. The Princess was all she had, after all.

So, by her count, it was fine for her to want to tear off a young lord's hand as he wrapped it around Ileana's waist to dance with the Princess. It was normal to want to claw his face off when he made the Princess smile and laugh. It was perfectly natural for her legs to tremble with the desire to run onto the dance floor and take _her_ Ileana back from the masses. She did not go through with any of those thoughts, though; she remained hiding and silently seething.

Ileana went through the guests, introducing herself and they doing the same. She spoke with each person that she encountered briefly, but had a way of making them seem extremely important while doing so. She accepted offers to dance from the young men that were there. It was a bit tedious after a while, almost like a formula that she was following. It required no thought at all and she occasionally looked to her father, pleading with her eyes for him to end the night. His silence was her response.

 _Pointless conversation and endless dancing are to be my punishment. What ever had I done that was so wrong?_ Ileana wondered, focusing her eyes on a wall rather than on the young man holding her at the moment. She was resisting the urge to flee from his grip and from the room.

When she was finally able to escape the young man, she ended up in a conversation with a young lady. Why every female in the room thought that she wished to discuss her dress was very much beyond Ileana, but it certainly was the most popular thing to come out of the girls' mouths. She hated her dress and hated the compliments it garnered. She did not wish to talk about her hair either, which was always the next thing the girls brought up in discussions. After a couple of hours, she started avoiding the girls and favored the boys, which was not much better.

Ileana found out that boys were actually not interested in conversing with her at all. They eyed her strangely whenever she tried to start a discussion and rarely added to anything that she said. Instead, they muttered agreements or tried to stir the conversation elsewhere, commenting on her beauty or something else that held little meaning to her. She racked her mind, going through all her social and etiquette lessons for answers. She thought that she might have stumbled onto the reason why the boys did not take her chat; she recalled being taught that men lead and women follow. She was trying to lead the conversation, which they did not seem to take kindly to, but could not say so since she was the Princess.

Upon that realization, Ileana suddenly felt alone in the crowded room, as if she was lost and stranded in a desert. As she danced, her eyes searched for some sign of civilization, some sign of salvation. As if guided by some force, her eyes fell on Rose. Her eyes locked onto Rose as if she was a lifesaver in rough seas. She noticed that Rose was watching her and she silently prayed that Rose continued to do so. Those golden eyes chased away the fear and despair of loneliness, promising that it would never return.

A peace washed over Rose when deep hazel eyes connected with hers. She let out a breath that she had not known that she was holding for what felt like hours, but it did explain why her chest had been burning, why her whole body had been burning. Now, it felt like cool water was being poured on her, relaxing her, vowing that everything would be fine. Ileana's warm hazel gaze always had the calming effect on Rose.

Gold and hazel remained locked on each other and the pair was certain that was the only way that they survived the night. When the clock tolled midnight, their gazes broke for a moment to find out that they were free to go. It took all of their self-control not to run back to Ileana's bedroom after the King dismissed everyone. As soon as they were alone, Ileana pounced on Rose, earning a chuckle from both of them.

"I missed you so much," Ileana whispered into the pointed ear, holding the smaller teen close.

"How could you miss me with so many people wanting your attention?" Rose inquired with a small smile gracing her pale features.

"None of them are my little iris. None of them can match my Rose. I thought that you knew that," the Princess replied, an arm draped on her friend's shoulder while her free hand caressed Rose's head.

Rose exhaled as a soothing calm washed over her entire being like a warm bath. Ileana invaded all of her senses and she drowned in the Princess willingly. Ileana never hugged her anymore. It was more like the Princess engulfed her, surrounded her, took her over, and she always surrendered to that feeling. It meant for good dreams.

"You are scenting me again, aren't you?" Ileana asked in a teasing tone with an equally teasing smile.

"I'm doing no such thing," Rose replied, still smiling quite pleasantly. "I've been told time and time again that to do so is weird and rude, after all." _Oh, but how I love the smell of you! I can't help it_.

Ileana chuckled a bit, knowing that she would more than likely have to tell Rose many more times how weird it was for the pale teen to go around sniffing her. They quickly changed into their night clothes. Rose was about to make her way to her bed, but Ileana grabbed her into another embrace before she could get away.

"Come, stay in my bed for tonight. Chase away all my thoughts of those horrible people with your singing," Ileana requested, not that she was giving her cohort much choice since she as pulling Rose toward the bed anyway.

Rose grinned like she was intoxicated as she settled in Ileana's bed. The Princess wrapped her arms around Rose again once they were both lying down. She also threw her leg over both of Rose's lower limbs, as if she was trying to trap the smaller girl. Her head rested in Rose's wild mane and they just lie there, quiet and unmoving.

Ileana's breathing slowed down to a relaxed rhythm and her eyes closed on their own accord. Her hands began to roam, just reminding her of the presence of Rose, soothing her whole soul. Her fingers lazily ran up and down a toned arm, feeling the cuts from the muscles Rose was developing from working in the kitchen.

Rose purred as curious fingers went from her arm to her back. She closed her eyes and just experienced the tantalizing sensations where those fingers danced, leaving behind small pools of mild electricity. She bit back a whimper as the digits began slowly drawing circles on the small of her back. She then jumped slightly as she felt fingers on her bare leg; her hips slammed into Ileana's thigh, causing the Princess to jump too.

"Sorry. I suppose I have gone too far," Ileana whispered, yet her hands did not leave her friend's body.

"No, it's fine. It's just I didn't expect you to touch my leg," Rose explained. She did not expect skin-on-skin contact either. She was pretty sure that was the first time that she had ever felt Ileana's hand on her bare leg and it felt somewhat different from the other touches. It was a good different sort of sensation that raced through her as Ileana's hand traveled her body. Her leg felt like it was ready to melt like candle-wax under the warm, gentle fingers and she did not care one bit as long as the attention continued on.

Rose closed her eyes again and felt sleep not to far off. Ileana glanced down at her, noticing that she was drifting off. The Princess exhaled slowly as her eyes shifted from Rose's face to the hips that had crashed against her a moment ago. Heat spread through her body, which Ileana thought was strange; it was not the first time that it happened, but was burning hotter than ever before. She felt restless now and her body wanted to fidget to get rid of the heat, but she did not wish to disturb Rose's sleep.

That was the first time _the_ scent ever hit Rose's sensitive nose. It was a tangy, but sweet aroma and she could practically taste it on the roof of her mouth. Its ghost on her tongue, she licked her lips and wondered where she might sample something so delicious.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana makes new friends…kind of. Rose finds out what _the_ scent is.


	15. 14: Where there is smoke…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: teenage females engaging in sexual activity. Run! ...Unless of course you showed up for this sort of thing. Then read on.

14: Where there is smoke…

"Today, your lessons are to be cut short. It has been arranged that you will meet with some noble young ladies and make an afternoon of it," Miss Olga informed her charge as they walked down the dark halls of the palace, making their way to Ileana's study.

"Make an afternoon of what?" Ileana asked curiously, trying to adjust to new shoes that she was expected to wear; they had higher heels than she was used to. She was already making plans for them to take a flight off her balcony. Perhaps she would throw one and Rose would throw the other. They would see who could throw the furthest.

Ileana had to admit, she was not enjoying being fifteen so far. She was not in favor of her change in wardrobe from the shoes to the new undergarments to the dresses that she now had to wear. The dresses were not much different from her old ones, but they were a bit more form fitting than she was used to and she was not in favor of the change. The corset that she wore underneath the dress was a big problem; she felt like it was strangling her and often had dreams that it choked her while it laughed demonically. It did not help matters that Rose eyed her strangely whenever she wore a corset. Sometimes, she wondered if her dear friend was getting a good laugh at her expense, even though she did not see laughter in those golden eyes.

"Playing the hostess, Princess. You are now expected to socialize with the nobles since you are of age," Miss Olga told the Princess with a stern glare that spoke much louder than her words. The glare said, "You're going to meet people and that's that."

Ileana bit back a swear word that she had learned in the streets. "Socialize? You mean I have to see those people from the party more often?" she asked incredulously. The only thing keeping her face from falling was her excellent self-control; she had developed it and other skills over the years.

The teen had hoped that she was done with the young nobles after her introduction party. She had not connected to any of those people and had only interacted with them because she was forced to by her father. After spending time with them, she learned that she would prefer to not bother with them anymore. They were not very interesting.

"Yes. You will be seeing a lot of 'those people' as you call them. You will play hostess to them at least once a week. Try finding favorites quickly, so you will know who you would rather be around and invite them to small gatherings. Today, you will only be having tea and a light lunch with a few young ladies. Hopefully, you will spark up some intelligent conversation and make some friends," Miss Olga replied. Her unspoken addition to that was that the Princess would finally stop wanting that "dog" for company.

Ileana sighed, her strong shoulders slumping. "There is no way for me to get around this, is there?"

"You cannot run from duty. You know that quite well. You will enjoy the company, I am sure of that, Princess. You can get decent conversation now and talk about things that teenagers talk about," Miss Olga answered.

The Princess' raven eyebrows curled up, wrinkling her forehead. "What sort of things?" she asked curiously.

Miss Olga was not quite sure how to respond to that. It was like she thought Ileana should just know instinctively. After all, the Princess was the one that was the teenager.

"Well, I suppose you would talk about some social issues that you might find interesting, balls that you have attended, dresses that you enjoyed wearing, boys," Miss Olga guessed, even though she doubted any of those things sparked her charge's interest. _What the blast do teenage girls talk about nowadays, anyway?_

Ileana's face scrunched up. She did not have any fascination with any of those things. In fact, she hated balls, dresses, and believed herself to be on the way of disliking boys if they all behaved as the ones at her introduction party had. Miss Olga knew that was the case, but hoped that Ileana might be able to gain an interest if she had friends to discuss such things with. Once she got to know the young nobles, she might be able to find enjoyment in similar, proper things.

It did not matter, though, because the Princess found herself meeting up with three noble young women at lunch time. When she stepped out into the garden to meet them, all she could think was that she wished Rose was with her. It was so much easier to do things with Rose by her side.

The three nobles greeted Ileana with respect and kindness, which she returned. They all sat down at a cozy rounded table. Ileana immediately felt like the odd man out, though. The three girls started talking, perhaps a conversation that they were having while waiting for the Princess, and merely continued it after pleasantries were exchanged.

Ileana sat quietly, watching the three girls talk and not really feeling the urge to join in. She was able to learn their names only through following their discussion. The redhead sitting to her left was named Nika. She was of average height and fair complexion, dressed in a pink gown that she seemed to think suited her well. Her face was caked in makeup, making her fair skin almost ghost white. Deep crimson lipstick seemed painted on her face rather than dabbed there as it was supposed to be. The Princess found it hard to believe that Nika was only fifteen from the way that she looked, or was trying to look.

Ileana could almost taste the arrogance as it spilled off of Nika, oozing out of her forest green eyes and pouring from her thin lips. She had already mentioned how much land her father owned five times in ten minutes. The other two girls did not seem to notice the little annoyance; more than likely because they were doing the same thing. Ileana did not understand the importance of such a thing; it was not as if the girls owned that land or would ever inherit it, so she did not see why it was of consequence to them.

Across from the Princess sat Marina. She was sitting back in her chair with a laidback slouch that Ileana would have been screamed by Miss Olga at for days if she did so. Marina had flowing dark brown hair and matching eyes that seemed to find the table top intriguing. It appeared like she was fighting back a yawn while making sure to add in on the conversation every few seconds.

Ileana knew that the aloof nature Marina was trying to portray was supposed to make her seem cool and calm, but there was a coldness that Ileana knew all too well. Chills practically blew off of Marina like a frozen wasteland. Ileana wondered if she was the only one that was aware of it or if she was just the only one that cared.

Lastly, there was Sonya. Her blonde hair shined as if dipped in the sun itself. Her smile was bright as the star and she smiled easily, grinning for as long as Ileana had been sitting with them. For some reason, Ileana did not think that the blonde was putting off a good vibe despite all of that cheer in her tanned face. Her sky blue eyes held darkness in them that Ileana had no desire to explore or speculate on.

"So, as I was saying, I was being fitted for the gown and that horrible little servant girl had the nerve to stick me with one of the pins," Nika continued her story, which her two friends kept chiming on with their own bits and anecdotes.

"Tell me you hit her this time," Sonya practically squealed. The delight in her eyes at the idea almost made Ileana lose a breakfast that she had hours ago.

"Of course I hit her. She has no business near me with equipment she obviously does not know how to use. I then had her punished with ten lashes. She works in the stables now," Nika seemed to brag, holding a haughty chin in the air. _Imminent return of breakfast in three...two..._ Ileana thought. The Princess had to swallow hard before her breakfast managed to greet her guests.

"I cannot believe you allowed her to get away with it three times. One girl did that to me and I took the nearest object to her skull," Marina commented almost blandly, speaking about it as casually as one would the weather. She made a simple flickering motion with her fingers, adding to the nonchalance she oozed in regards to her violence.

"Ah, yes, the one you nearly killed, which explains why you practically have to dress yourself in the morning now," Nika remarked dryly with a slightly smug look on her face.

"If the little bitch cannot do her job properly, she needs to be corrected," Marina said with a dismissive roll of her eyes.

"You know, you probably should curb your language in front of the Princess. She does not know you as well as we do, after all," Sonya cautioned her friend, still grinning, like a gleeful predator, Ileana now realized.

"It is fine," Ileana manage to force out in a normal, strong voice. She was happy to find out that her breakfast was not coming back, considering the fact that her stomach had retreated into her feet. What type of ladies was she dining with, she wondered with dread.

"I am sure the Princess has spoken harsher words to her staff. I have heard on more than one occasion that she can be heard screaming at them from quite the distance," Marina pointed out in a droll tone.

Ileana did not deny, not even to herself, that she shrieked at her servants, sometimes more than necessary, but she was all bark and no bite. There was never a time that she hit a servant. The thought itself had never crossed her mind, even when they were being callous toward her precious Rose. Those women had been caring for her since she was too small to remember; to her, abusing them would be like abusing her own mother. She could not even imagine such a thing.

Besides, when she did scream at her servants, she did so usually because they were treating Rose poorly. It had nothing to do with them dressing her or doing their jobs. She mentally insisted that she was nothing like the girls that she was currently sitting with. She would never strike one of her servants because of a mistake involving a simple task, like putting on a dress. She shook her head; no, she was nothing like these girls, she promised herself.

"Besides, Sonya, you have no right to talk. We have heard you when you get into your moods," Nika commented.

Ileana tried to shrink out of sight as the conversation persisted. She wanted to leave now, but she knew that it would be rude and her father, who had the "brilliant" idea in the first place for her to be around such awful people, would punish her for going against his orders. Punishment tended to mean more tutoring sessions and less Rose, which she was not interested in. So, she was going to have to endure these horrors to make sure that she would be able to hold Rose at the end of the day.

"Just because I swing a mean candelabrum does not mean anything," Sonya argued, flipping her long yellow hair with a sharp turn of her head.

"I do not think it counts as a swing once you have broken someone's nose. By that time it is at the least a strike," Marina quipped, amusing herself apparently because she chuckled a little. Nika let out her own dark laugh.

Ileana could not have been happier to see her favorite tea and lunch finally brought to them if the meal had been delivered by the gods themselves. She had heard more tales of servant-abuse in less than an hour than she needed and she hoped to not hear anymore. She thought that with food in front of them, conversation would die down for a while for everyone to enjoy the meal.

Unfortunately, lunch was not passed in silence. The terror trio—as Ileana was now thinking of her lunch guests—kept on going. The only comfort was that the conversation went from punishing servants to speaking about clothing, which was another discussion that Ileana wanted no part of. The ladies did not seem to notice that the Princess was not speaking, as they just carried on without bothering to get her to join in. Ileana decided to pass the time counting clouds that went by.

"Excuse me, ladies," Miss Olga said as she stepped into the garden. "I must take the Princess away now. She has language lessons that she cannot miss."

Ileana almost got out of her seat and ran to Miss Olga to embrace the woman that she currently viewed as her savior. She took a deep breath to rein herself in, though. She slowly rose from her seat and gracefully bid her guests farewell. She even smiled at them, feeling almost dirty in doing so.

"Well, I cannot keep my tutors waiting," Ileana said with a false smile and she walked off, forcing herself to keep an even stride and not make a mad dash for the inside. She hoped to all that was holy that she would never have to spend time with those demon females again.

Miss Olga noticed the slight difference in the Princess and the rush that the younger woman seemed to be in. "Is everything all right, Princess?"

Ileana turned a little and smiled graciously at her governess. "Thank you so much, Miss Olga."

Blue eyes blinked hard in shock and confusion. Miss Olga could not recall if the Princess ever thanked her for anything. And she somehow doubted that she was being thanked for the luncheon.

"Um...if you enjoyed the ladies company, I will arrange for another visit," the older woman offered, testing the waters to find out if that was why she was being thanked.

An amused smile continued to grace Ileana's face. "No, I think once was more than enough. I am certain you can tell."

Miss Olga nodded, very easily able to tell that something was wrong. She made a mental note to find out what happened at the lunch, but until then, she had to get Ileana to her lessons. It was one thing for the Princess to do things that were socially necessary, but Miss Olga was not going to force Ileana into situations that left her so visibly unsettled; well, it was visible to those sharp blue eyes anyway.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was not prepared for the pouncing that she got as she entered Ileana's bedroom. When kisses started to be placed on her cheeks with fervor, she was almost scared. Usually, she only got such sweet treatment when she was visibly injured or absent for days, which was why she did not see the enthused greeting coming. Of course, there was one other reason she got such a nice greeting.

"Rough day?" Rose asked, whispering in her friend's ear. A shiver ran down the Princess' spine.

"You have no idea," Ileana replied, blowing a short breath in the pointed ear that turned toward her mouth as she spoke. She watched her friend's opposite ear twitch; it happened every so often when she whispered into the shorter girl's ear. The Princess thought the reaction was adorable.

Ileana released her friend after that, knowing that if she stayed too close, she would start ranting about her lunch date. She would want Rose to answer her and Rose never spoke in front of others. In fact, Ileana was pretty sure that she was the only human that knew Rose could speak. When the room was clear, the Princess went off.

"My day was so horrible! Miss Olga made me have lunch with these terrible girls that beat their servants! Every story that they shared, they told tales of evil deeds toward people that were only trying to help them!" Ileana practically cried.

Rose took the Princess into her arms and Ileana clung to her in return. The chocolate-skinned girl rested her head on Rose's shoulder and sniffled as if she might cry. Rose caressed her lower back, hoping to calm her down, ease her pain. They remained like that for several seconds and Rose was vaguely aware of that smell that she was starting to get familiar with, that sweet and tangy scent. She could not figure out what it was, despite the fact that she had smelled it a few times before.

The pale teen tried to ignore the scent as it invaded her nose and tried to take over her mind. She needed to focus on Ileana and helping the Princess get through such upsetting events. Besides, she had an inkling that nothing good would come from her indulging in that aroma…at least not at the moment anyway. She continued on rubbing the small of Ileana's back. Her rough fingertips seemed to dance across her cohort's soft clothing, soothing Ileana. After a while, she could feel Ileana relax against her.

"Thank you, my little iris," Ileana said out of the blue. Her words were whispered into the warm shoulder that she was huddled against.

Rose blinked hard. "For what?"

"For being kind, sweet, and utterly decent. No one else would ever do this for me," the Princess pointed out. Who else did she have for comfort? Rose was the first and last line of defense.

"You do this for me all the time. I'd be some kind of…" Rose bit back a dirty word that she had learned in the kitchens and searched her mind for one that would make sense. "…jerk if I wasn't there for you. Besides, I like being like this," she admitted, leaning over a little so that her cheek brushed against the Princess' face.

The slight move changed from something familiar to something a little new as Rose went from leaning over to plain nuzzling Ileana. The Princess froze for only a second and then relaxed, realizing that she greatly enjoyed their new position. She did have to consciously try to control her breathing to avoid panting. She was not sure why her lungs were trying to draw in so much air, but she made the effort to keep her body from reacting oddly to something that she liked. Soon, she found herself needing to swallow as her throat decided to imitate a desert. Her heart was starting to pound and she was almost certain that she could hear her blood rushing. For a moment, she felt like she might be coming down with a fever and she feared that she might be ill, but nothing felt bad enough to be a sickness. She could not help wondering what this feeling was and why it seemed to attack her now…and also whenever Rose was close to her.

Ileana wondered if maybe Rose always affected her in such a way and she only just now noticed. She doubted that was the case. She was certain that her body reacting as if she had just run a marathon whenever Rose was near was something recent. She thought it was odd that she liked the sensation of feeling like she was out of breath, mostly because it meant that her best friend was near.

Rose could feel the heavy tattoo of Ileana's heart against her chest. It made her own heart speed up to the point that she could not tell the difference between her heartbeat and her friend's. She could not tell where one ended and the other began. The notion made her legs almost buckle, her stomach flop, and her mind began to swim. She needed to sit down or she feared that she might pass out.

 _Where's my bed?_ Rose wondered, slowly trying to back up, but also trying to get to a seat as soon as possible. Her awareness of anything aside for the girl in her arms was dull at best. She could be walking toward the balcony, which was clear across the room and opposite her bed, and she never would know.

"Rose, where are you going?" Ileana inquired curiously.

"Um…I'm trying to get to my bed," the smaller teen answered honestly, a sheepish blush tainting her pale cheek.

"Then why are you backing up the desk?" Ileana asked, looking pass her friend to the end of the room.

Rose cursed inside her own head; why the hell was it suddenly so hard to think and focus with Ileana with her? She knew that she would not get any answers standing up, so she tried again for her bed. She made it on the second try, only because she knew that her bed was somewhere to the left the desk. Ileana followed her the whole way, staying close, flooding her senses and driving her to distraction.

"Were these girls really that bad?" Rose asked because Ileana was so utterly distraught since she was still clinging to her dear friend.

"They were entertained by the fact that they hurt people. They enjoyed inflicting pain on others. They just had this…air about them that I disliked. It was almost poisonous. The worst of it is that I have to get used to being around such people. I hope that all nobles are not like that," Ileana replied, trying to adjust herself against Rose now that they were sitting.

"I'm sure they're not," Rose said, holding in a breathe that begged to escape as the Princess moved against her body. Her heart sped up; she was quite certain that the clip that the organ was moving was not healthy. Sometimes, she actually thought that being close to Ileana made her ill. The way that her body responded, she wondered if something so warm and loving could not make her sick since it felt so good.

"I wish everyone was more like you, my iris. Warm, gentle, understanding…" Ileana commented, cuddling even more into Rose. Her eyes closed almost all of the way and she held in a yawn that wanted to escape her throat. She was starting to see how Rose could fall asleep so quickly when she held the smaller girl and let Rose snuggle into her. It was so relaxing.

"But…then you would want to be with them and not me," Rose pointed out in a low tone. Her eyes were fixed on the top of the Princess' head as one hand massaged the small of Ileana's back and the other played with a strand of jet black hair.

"I always want to be with my little iris." Ileana yawned and then she fell asleep right there, her arms wrapped tightly around her friend's slim waist.

-8-8-8-8-

It was a cold night, but Rose swore that she was burning up. She kicked her blanket off almost as soon as she had fallen asleep; her body felt like it was trapped in the thing and rejected it in order to escape. Now she was just tossing, turning, and groaning in a low tone; she was being tormented. She scratched at her bed and whined into the cushion as she flipped over and twisted at all angles, like she had no skeleton at all. She ended up on the floor, which woke her up.

"I need a wider bed," Rose mumbled into the lush carpet, not bothering to pick herself up.

She was a bit disoriented as she glanced around the dark room. Usually, she fell out of the bed thanks to nightmares, but she was having a dream before her unscheduled meeting with the floor. Dreams typically allowed her a chance to at least remain in the bed to see the conclusion and she would have loved to know how that dream ended.

"Although I can guess…" she snickered to herself and then it hit her.

Her tormentor assaulted Rose, slapping her with all the force of a meteor strike; it was _that_ smell! The aroma traveled right through her nose into every other part of her body, settling on her tongue and in her stomach. She could practically taste it and it tasted like paradise. Her eyes went half-lidded and her body felt like it wanted to melt.

 _What is that?_ Rose's mind begged to know. The smell, stronger now than ever before, was maddening, needing to be sought out, discovered, and devoured. She went with that thought, moving nose first through the dark room.

She crawled on the floor, moving through the night like a hunting shark. She knew what direction she was going in. She knew that the sweet scent originated somewhere in her heaven. She just needed to locate the exact area.

The short girl was not surprised to find herself at the edge of Ileana's bed in a matter of seconds. She knew that the scent came from Ileana because she only smelled it when the Princess was around. The aroma also typically made its presence known when she was close to Ileana, but she was not sure why that was. She just knew that every time she got a whiff of it, she wanted a little more.

It just never beckoned her like now, where she _needed_ to know the direct source was. Letting her nose do the walking, she crawled up on the bed, at the foot to be precise. She saw that Ileana was tossing a little underneath her heavy blanket, which captivated her attention for a few precious seconds and she wondered if that tense expression on Ileana's face was a good thing or bad thing.

Ileana winced, but it did not sound painful to Rose's well-trained ears. The Princess moved around a bit again, rolling onto her stomach and then back onto her back. Her head turned to the right and she whined in a high pitch tone before she started panting.

Tearing her eyes away, Rose went back to letting her nose lead the way as the charming fragrance got stronger. She inhaled deeply, finding out which part of the bed she needed to centralize her search. The foot of the bed seemed to be the best according to her nose.

Her nose was telling her that she needed to go underneath the blanket, but Rose did not want to disturb her friend's sleep. She sniffed around above the cover, wanting to find the point that she needed before doing anything else. The closer she moved, the stronger the smell became and she was sure that she was either going to consume it or it was going to consume her.

Rose found herself hovering above the middle of Ileana, near her waist. Her eyebrows knitted together as the scent assault, beckoned her like a siren. She was quite ready to jump to her death for it too.

"If she'll let me…" Rose whispered to herself.

Suddenly, the Princess whimpered and Rose flinched. The pale girl backed up a bit, thinking that Ileana woke up. She did not want Ileana to find her peering at the Princess if she did wake up. Rose imagined that would be quite the startling wake up.

"I might have to wake her…" Rose considered. She _needed_ to do something about that smell, after all. She could taste its shadow, so she wanted the real thing.

Rose's attention snapped to her friend as Ileana let loose another whimper that was mixed with a moan. Rose's heart rate increased; it felt like the overworked organ would burst from her chest. Something inside of her recognized that she wanted to make Ileana moan even more.

"I want…to make you…" Rose whispered to her sleeping companion as she watched sweat start to collect on Ileana's forehead. She was not totally sure what she wanted to do with Ileana; she wanted so many different things.

Rose's throat tightened as she gazed at her friend, who was starting to pant. The smell was getting more powerful and Rose's body was beginning to panic, getting too much stimulus at once. The sights and scents that she was experiencing, Ileana's tense but soft face and her light sweat mixing with that heavenly scent, was almost too much.

Rose's clenched her eyes shut, feeling like her brain was about to explode from all of the information coming at it. She growled as she felt her body tensions flaring in her like a bonfire. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, wishing everything would go away.

 _I should just go back to bed…_ Rose figured that would be the best course of action, but she remained right where she was.

Before Rose could get lost in any more of the sensations flooding her brain, Ileana woke with a start. Rose froze as she locked eyes with her friend. Her mind shut down, so she was unable to think of an excuse for why she was hovering over her friend and she really did need one.

"Rose…?" Ileana asked in a moan. Apparently, she was not done with her abnormal dream, she noted.

"Yes…" the pale girl admitted, having the decency to glance away, feeling ashamed that she was stalking Ileana.

"Is everything all right? Do you want something?" Ileana's protectiveness thankfully came out because she could barely look at her friend. Not after the dream she had.

"I do…" Rose confessed. She was very aware that she should not have said that, but everything was just too much for her brain. She could not think of any excuses or lies.

"What do you want?" the Princess asked curiously, silently wishing that her heated body would cool down and stop humming from the images that she saw in her sleep.

Rose did not respond verbally. Her eyes darted down to the source of that mesmerizing scent. She then slowly peeled the blanket away that was hiding Ileana from her. Rose's eyes never left her desire and Ileana watched in curiosity. The chocolate-skinned teen could not help wondering what her friend was up to.

Rose continued on, still not talking. Her gaze was locked on her target and she put her hands on Ileana's thighs. The Princess shuddered and Rose's gaze shot up to Ileana's face. They both gulped as they saw smoldering looks in each other's eyes.

"Wha…what do you want?" Ileana asked again. Her voice was now a whisper and she forced her voice to sound normal. A quiver did escape her throat, and seemed to travel down her legs.

"To know you," Rose simply answered.

Ileana knew what those words meant, but did not know what they meant at the same time. All she knew was that her body felt like it was on fire in three major points; two points being where Rose's hands were and the other being where Rose's eyes were. Ileana did not trust any part of her to respond, but she knew that she nodded because of what Rose did next.

The fox-eared teen gently pried apart the Princess' legs, eyes never leaving her intended target. Ileana just watched as Rose crawled in between her legs. The Princess swallowed hard as her heart pounded hard in her chest and Rose settled herself down on the bed. Rose stared into the dead center of her friend's body and they both started panting. While Ileana's throat continuously went dry, Rose found her mouth watering.

Rose went in for a closer inspection, ears pointed toward Ileana, waiting for some sound of displeasure. None came and Rose pressed on, well aware that she was close to her paradise. She had to push Ileana's nightgown out of the way. Her ears twitched as Ileana whimpered from the feel of Rose's fingertips gliding along her body.

Rose moved the nightgown just to the top of Ileana's thighs and the delightful smell basically smacked her in the face as she revealed the source. She shamelessly rubbed her nose there and she felt like she might pass out as the full-force of the sweet perfume practically shattered her brain. Her pupils dilated as she inhaled that heavenly scent that haunted her dreams and disturbed her sleep. She acted without thought, sniffing and licking at the cloth-shielded center, wanting to quench her thirst and soul from the well of paradise.

Ileana whimpered as she felt her friend going about the act of knowing her. Her body felt like it was turning into some kind of wonderful, warm liquid. Any thoughts that might have invaded her mind and told her to push Rose away were banished and stone walls were quickly built to keep them out. The only thing that was getting through to her was the waves of pleasure caused by Rose nosing around her most intimate space.

Ileana rolled over onto her side for a moment, hiding her head in her pillow to censor noises that needed to be released. Rose growled, upset that her treat was taken from her. She looked up, golden eyes glowing in the dark, seeking out the reason for the move. Ileana caught sight of the fiery indignation in Rose's eyes, angry that her exploration had been halted. The Princess then rolled back onto her back and pushed herself down a little, rubbing her body in Rose's face.

Rose purred and then went right back to what she was doing, drowning in the scent and taste of what she was sure was heaven. The more attention she lavished onto the well, she noticed the more treasure she was given. She was certain that she would never get her fill, not the smell and not the taste. She would always need more of this delicious treat.

Ileana had to bite her lip to prevent herself from crying out due to Rose's appreciation of her body. Tears gathered in her eyes as it felt like her companion was turning her inside out. She knew that she should stop her cohort, but the way she was feeling, the way that Rose was making her whole body feel like it was floating, just seemed so right. It was impossible for her to halt anything. Really, she was a breath away from begging Rose to never stop, but she kept her lip in between her teeth and that prevented her from saying anything at all. Her body begged for more, squirming to get closer to Rose's gifted tongue.

Hearts were racing as seconds ticked by. Breathing increased for both of them. The sound of blood rushing filled their ears. Nothing in the world existed, but their two bodies and the feelings passing between them.

Ileana could feel an impossible pressure building where Rose was admiring her. She thrashed her head to the side again while making sure to keep her bottom lip secure between her teeth to avoid screaming. Before she knew it, the pressure built as far as it could go and then seemed to explode wildly through out her entire being, causing her to convulse and shake.

Rose did not even seem to notice her friend moving. She was high on the nectar at her disposal and could only take in more of it. Ileana had to put her pillow over her face to muffle her noises as her body exploded over and over again. Rose kept going, even when Ileana tried to move away; she wanted to catch her breath for a second. Only when the well stopped giving water did Rose cease her actions. She also began to think and take note of things, like her current predicament.

 _Oh, gods, what did I just do?_ Rose thought with a panic. She had just been buried nose-deep in her friend's personal space, her mind callously pointed out. _Was it really all right?_ What if she just ruined the best thing in her life?

Rose was close to hyperventilating when she felt a tender hand on her cheek. She looked up to see exhausted hazel eyes on her and a tired smile gracing chocolate features. She wondered if that meant everything was all right. Was she not in trouble for doing what she did? After all, she was aware that Ileana's sacred parts were supposed to be something only for her husband—that was what Miss Olga said, anyway.

Ileana swallowed as she spoke words that had been drilled into her mind as untrue. "It's all right, Rose." It was true to her. Rose being there had felt so right and she did not want the shorter girl to think otherwise.

"It is?" Rose asked to be sure. She recalled Miss Olga talking to them one time about marriage and something about a treasure that was only supposed to go to a husband; she was talking to Ileana and Rose was standing there, partially paying attention, but she still heard the whole speech.

"Yes. It is," the Princess confirmed. She could not help wondering how she could be telling the truth when she already knew that the action was wrong. It just did not feel wrong.

Rose nodded to show that she understood. She was tempted to curl up next to her friend, but she could tell that Ileana needed sleep. She eyed the Princess for a moment before she crawled off of the bed. Ileana sank into her pillow and had to bite her tongue to avoid calling Rose back.

Rose then returned to her bed and tried to go back to sleep. Instead of sleeping, she spent the night licking her lips and taking in the scent that was clinging to her nostrils, as it was now right under her nose. She smiled for the entire night.

Ileana had never fallen asleep so effortlessly in her life; Rose's attention was demanding and exhausting. It was wonderful. She fell into oblivion hoping that was not the first and last time for such treatment, whether it was wrong or right.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the girls find themselves…distracted.


	16. 15: The sweetest thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Once again, teenage females engaging in sexual activity. Run! ...Unless of course you showed up for this sort of thing. Then read on.

15: The sweetest thing

The morning was usually still, lingering chills hanging around from the night, refusing to be chased away by the sun. Now, everything seemed brighter and warmer to Ileana, even through her hazy vision. Her body existed in two extremes, light and heavy at the same time. It felt absolutely delicious, though.

Despite getting the best sleep of her life, Ileana found her body weighed down. No part of her wanted to leave the bed, reveling in the memories of what happened. She could not help wondering how something she knew was wrong could feel so right, so good, and leave her wanting to beg for more. She considered that it might have just been one of those rules that were meant to be broken. _There are a lot of those_.

A small smile settled onto Ileana's face while she tried to figure out just what last night meant. She wondered what made Rose act the way she did. Even more, she wondered what made her accept the offer. She did not have any answers. No matter how much she thought on the matter, she could not come up with anything other than the fact that she wished that Rose was lying next to her right now, curled up next to her. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle with the shorter teen. The absence of her cohort made her smile drop slightly.

Ileana tried to see over to her friend's bed, wanting to catch a glimpse of Rose without moving too much because she still felt heavy. She also did not want to chance waking her cohort, believing that Rose needed all the sleep she could get whenever she did manage to sleep. It was difficult to make out anything over that the small lump on the couch. Rose had the covers completely pulled over her body and head, so Ileana could not even tell if Rose was awake.

Rose was up; she had not slept at all. She was shivering under the covers and it was not due to the cold moving throughout the room. She was thinking about what she had done last night. Her heart felt like it was going to blow up in her chest as she thought about the punishment that would be waiting for her if Miss Olga found out what she did. She feared that Ileana might even say something. Even worse, she was afraid that Ileana would hate her for what she did, for touching her where Miss Olga had deliberately told the Princess that only her husband was supposed to touch her.

Rose growled softly to herself, thinking of someone else touching Ileana as she did, getting Ileana to make the noises that she did. She wished for that privilege to be hers and hers alone, always and forever. She wished that she had stayed in the bed, pressed herself against Ileana, and listened to the Princess breath all night. She wanted nothing more than to claim Ileana and to have Ileana claim her. Unfortunately, she was very aware that would never happen and that fact caused her great pain.

The troubles in her mind startled Rose and she curled herself into a tight ball, feeling utter shame wash over her for such desires. She silently demanded to know who she thought she was, claiming someone like Ileana. She would be punished for the rest of her life if anyone dared to know what she was thinking. Making matters worse, she felt sick thinking about how she wanted to possess her friend.

Possession meant pet, slave, object to Rose. None of those things were positive and she knew that as a fact. Tears gathered in her eyes as she started to think that she was some sort of monster for wanting such things. If Ileana knew, Rose was sure that the Princess would hate her…if she did not hate her already.

Rose was taken from her thoughts as her covers were pulled back. She knew who was there, but she could not raise her head to look. She curled into a tighter ball, hoping that the couch would swallow her up. She cried harder, thinking that she lost everything.

"Hey, little iris, why are you crying?" Ileana gently whispered into a triangular ear that was flattened against Rose's head.

The short teen did not answer. Ileana was silent for a moment. She watched her friend with sorrowful hazel eyes and did what she knew would be the right thing. Ileana wasted no time grabbing her short friend into a tight embrace. The hug was more reassuring than words could ever be and Rose exhaled as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her. The Princess smiled a bit and caressed Rose's head.

"Come on. We have to get ready or Miss Olga will destroy us," Ileana commented with a light laugh.

Rose nodded and was finally able to get up. For a second, golden eyes focused on the floor, but Ileana cupped her face and forced their eyes to lock. The Princess could see the inner turmoil swirling in her best friend; _my own probably would never match hers_ , Ileana thought. She gave Rose a proper hug, which the shorter teen returned. As they pulled away, their gazes softened and held sparkles that put smiles on both faces; Ileana's smile was much larger than Rose's.

The friends went about their day as usual…well, they tried to go about the day as usual. Rose could not stop running her tongue along her lips, earning curious looks from the kitchen staff. Ileana squirmed in her seat during tutoring, getting scolded by Mister Mikhail. Their minds wandered, remembering.

-8-8-8-8-

"Child, where ya head be?" Fry asked her assistant, who was once again lost in a daydream. It would not be so bad if only their job did not require being around sharp objects and fire.

"What?" Rose asked curiously and then she caught sight of the problem. Her stir fry was on fire. She slapped herself in the forehead and calmly put it out. Now, she was going to have to start all over again, she groaned mentally.

Through out the course of the day, Rose had made a number of mistakes that she would not have made at five, so there was no excuse for her to be making them at fifteen. She had dropped three bowls, spilling the contents, and failed to notice until her mentor started in on her. She had not bothered to make any excuses for Fry and had merely moved on…to her next screw up.

Rose had been dicing vegetables, something that she had done thousands of times before. What made that time different was the fact that she had nearly lost a finger to her own knife. Thankfully, Fry had been paying enough attention to stop her before she added her digit to the ingredients. That time, Rose had the decency to look sheepish while her mentor glared at her for her carelessness.

"So, where ya head?" Fry inquired once again, watching her assistant put the food out. She sighed, sounding impatient. Her tail moved behind her like a cloth stuck in a heavy wind.

Rose shrugged, not too sure how to answer that one. She was not sure what the problem was, except that she could still taste Ileana and all she wanted to do was have more. She tried scolding herself, and telling herself that she got off lucky since Ileana was not upset with her, so she should not push things. Nothing was really listening to that logic because right after she got through with that, she went right back to licking her lips and thinking about the sweetest thing that she had ever drank.

Fry eyed her assistant suspicious, enough to make the teen gulp and have her pulse rate speed up. Part of her wondered if Fry knew what she had done. If it was written across her forehead or maybe she had a trace of Ileana's scent lingering on her.

Fry's gaze narrowed. "You deliver lunches today. No more cooking." She did not want the teen doing anything that required brain power at the moment.

Rose sighed and nodded, even though she preferred delivering to cooking. It gave her a chance to sneak long glimpses at the Fang Guard. For Fry, it gave her a chance to get the teen away from fire before she managed to burn her eyebrows off. She sighed as soon as the teen was gone.

"She just walking trouble," Fry commented to herself, shaking her head.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana moved in her seat for possibly the millionth time in the past ten minutes. Her body just recollected all of the heavenly feelings coursing through her from last night. She could not keep still because of it. Her nerves twitched, making her muscles jump, and the tingling sensation from last night would not go away.

She wondered where her dearest Rose had learned to do such things with her tongue. It seemed like such a simple appendage, but Rose had made it do such complicated stunts and twisted her inside out with the incredible muscle. She shuddered as memories raced through her mind and phantom fingers glided across her legs.

The Princess tried to shake the thoughts away and she wiggled in her seat more, which really did not help rid her of the memories. She tried to focus her eyes on the pages in front of her, but she did not even know what book she was reading. Everything about her was keyed on what happened last night.

Her heart rate increased as she thought about it; _oh, gods, last night was beyond amazing_. She dared to think that she wanted it to happen again, even though she knew that was not how things were supposed to be. Last night was extremely inappropriate, but it was also pure paradise. She was never _that_ proper anyway, her mind pointed out. In fact, she had only just started taking into consideration what was proper and what was not and she was not even sure why. Miss Olga liked to say that she had matured while she sometimes thought that she had given into the brainwashing. Either way, a lot of the time it was just a part of her personality. She had grown into a fairly dignified creature, which she accepted it as long as it did not completely interfere with her day in some noticeable manner.

She was drawn out of her thoughts as a walking stick slammed down on her desk. She barely jumped, having gotten used to it over the years. Mister Mikhail might have to find a new way to get her attention, especially if Rose was going to keep distracting her as she was. She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye, not bothering to turn her head to meet his hard gaze.

"Princess Ileana, I will not tell you again to sit still. If you continue to move around like that, I will be forced to assign you extra lessons to remind you of how a royal should behave," Mister Mikhail said in a harsh tone with a glare that she was not paying attention to.

"Accompanied with lessons on how a lady should conduct herself," Miss Olga added from her standing space by the door.

Ileana guessed that Miss Olga noticed her lack of reaction to Mister Mikhail's threat. She sat straight up thanks to those words and made a conscious, all-out effort to keep from squirming in her seat. She was able to make it through the rest of the day.

The Princess resisted the urge to run to her room when the day was over, but she did march to the room just a little faster than usual. Halfway there, she calmed herself down, reminding herself that nothing out of the ordinary would happen when she got to the room. Besides, she was always there first anyway and nothing was different that day.

When Rose arrived, she tried avoiding eye contact with Ileana, unintentionally letting the Princess know that her friend was still experiencing some guilt. Not able to have that, she latched onto her short companion and just draped herself on the fox-eared teen. Rose smiled at the contact; maybe things were not as bad as she thought.

The smile brought a grin to Ileana's face and she happily remained close to her dearest friend. Rose felt all of her guilty thoughts retreating; throughout the day, her mind had switched from remembering the good from last night and fearing that Ileana hated her for what she did. The feel of Ileana against her certainly did not scream hatred.

Once Rose eased up, the night went as usual. They did not discuss last night. Rose was just too scared, thinking that if she acknowledged what happened verbally, Ileana really would hate her. She was certain that keeping quiet about her behavior was the best way to keep the most important thing to her—her best friend. She figured her silence on the situation was the best thing too because Ileana did not say anything about it either.

Ileana did not want to talk about last night. She was reminded herself that they had done something that was wrong and she was pretty sure it was beyond their usual antics. As long as they did not say anything, she could pretend it did not happen and pretend that they had not crossed some line that she was certain could get them in more trouble than they were able to imagine.

So, the night was filled with the typical conversation about Ileana's day and how boring studying was. Rose chimed in about her chores, but leaving out the parts where she had almost injured herself. She did not want Ileana to think that she was incompetent. She showed Ileana some new moves that she learned from watching the Fang Guard. Before they knew it, it was time for bed. Rose curled onto her sofa, wrapping herself into her blanket like a caterpillar in a cocoon. She smiled, feeling properly shielded from the cool night air. Ileana settled in her bed, underneath her warm covers and a smile worked its way onto her face without her knowledge.

Rose fell asleep as easily as she could. Some guilt gnawed at her since she and Ileana had not talked about last night, but she was also relieved. From what she could tell, everything was all right between them and that was good enough for her. She hoped that it kept away any nightmares that attempted to assault her.

For Ileana, sleep did not come so easily. She tossed and turned in bed, squirming, and clenching her legs together. She stared at Rose, trying to will the smaller girl awake, which did not work. It would seem that Rose was going to stay asleep and in her bed that night. Ileana stayed awake the whole night, wishing that Rose would get up and do just what she did last night.

Days passed and nothing changed. Ileana lay awake, longing for Rose to come to her like before. Rose never did. Eventually, the Princess' desire for her friend quelled, but it did not go away. More intense dreams visited her, but she was actually thankful for those. The dreams helped her sleep rather than stay awake all night wishing for Rose. She was able to make it through her days without squirming and she could focus on her lessons since Rose was not consuming her thoughts.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana woke with a start from a dream that had her body on fire. She found herself yearning for Rose. She turned to look and saw the shorter girl knocked out in her bed. She frowned and continued to stare, hoping to some higher power that Rose would get up and make her dream come true right now. The glaring worked that night as well as it had in the past; Rose stayed asleep.

"Maybe it is best that she remains asleep. I mean, that sort of thing was not proper in the slightest. If Miss Olga or my father were to find out that such a thing occurred, I am certain that they would take Rose from me…" Ileana whispered, eyes focused on the blackness that was the ceiling of her room. Her heart was still going a mile-a-minute and sweat rolled down her forehead.

She settled into her pillow and tried to get some sleep, yet she could not get the thought out of her head. She remembered having a pleasant dream so many nights ago and waking up to find Rose face-deep and lost in her, drinking her in, and making her soul soar. She wanted that again, her mind and body cried for it. She squirmed again and tried to shake the thoughts away. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed for sleep.

Sleep finally came after midnight and her mind was invaded with dreams that she did not want to wake from. She flinched and wiggled in her bed while the dreams continued, each more delightful than the last. A smile curled onto her lips as she continued sleeping and dreaming. She eventually managed to rouse her roommate.

Rose licked her lips as her nose was assaulted with _that_ smell. She tossed in bed and let out a little whine as her mind was invaded by dreams and a recent past reality. She tried her best to ignore it and stay asleep, reminding herself that she dodged quite the mess the first time. There was no reason to try her luck, and then the scent got stronger.

A shudder raced through Rose's body, going all the way to the tip of her tail, and a groan escaped her mouth. That fragrance, she felt like it was touching every part of her, reminding her of what it was, what it represented. Just one last time, every fiber of her being begged.

"Heaven…" Rose whispered as she rolled over in bed, falling to the floor with a light thud.

The pale teen crawled across the shadow-covered floor with her eyes closed, letting her nose lead the way. She almost ran head-first into Ileana's bed and decided to make a note to herself that her nose was not a very good leader. She opened her eyes to make her way up onto the bed. She found Ileana twisted in her own covers, a thin layer of tantalizing sweat coating her body.

"So beautiful…" Rose muttered without thinking.

Rose did not acknowledge her own words, but she moved in for a closer inspection of her friend. She swallowed hard as her throat started to tighten up thanks to the heavy scent radiating from her cohort. Her tail swayed drunkenly behind her and her whole body shuddered as her mind went blank of everything except Ileana. Being wrapped in her heaven and so close to her haven, Rose nearly collapsed on top of Ileana, but her weak arms managed to catch her before she hit the Princess.

Ileana seemed to sense that Rose was near. Her eyes fluttered open and a small smile graced her features without her permission. Rose was about to gulp and bolt back to her bed until she saw the smile. She relaxed a little, but anxiety started to gnaw at her.

"Rose…?" Ileana whispered, blinking a few times in confusion. She wondered if she was still dreaming or if Rose was seriously leaning over her in the middle of the night.

Rose nodded. "Yeah…"

"Do you…" Pausing, the Princess gulped. "Need anything?" she asked. Her heart sped up while her mind tried to make sense of things and perplexed her at the same time.

Rose nodded again. Dare she make her request? They had not spoke about it, except for the few words exchanged the first time and Ileana's assurances afterward that it was all right. She figured if Ileana was telling the truth the first time, then maybe it was all right to do just one more time.

Ileana tried to stay calm and keep from panting. "What?" she asked in a breath. Her eyes pleading for the request to be what she yearned for.

Rose did not trust her voice and her mind was not sure what to say anyway. Instead of talking, she peeled back Ileana's covers. She kept her eyes locked on her friend's while her hands went to Ileana's thighs. She rested her fingers gently on Ileana's legs, which were covered by her nightgown.

Silence covered the room, but both girls could have sworn that their hearts were beating loud enough for the world to hear. As the moments ticked by, Rose feared that she might have gone too far since Ileana did not respond. Just as Rose was about to pull back, Ileana nodded.

Rose slowly lowered herself to her target while gently pushing Ileana's nightgown up to her waist. Ileana watched, wondering if she should stop Rose. It was not too late, after all. She could do the right thing and stop Rose, they could go back to sleep, and no one would have to know about the one night that they had done something that she was sure crossed the line of their usual antics. They could—

Ileana let out a surprised, strangled whine, which worked its way to becoming a throaty moan. All thoughts raced from her mind as she felt Rose's tongue moving across her most intimate area. She quickly tucked her bottom lip between her teeth to make sure that she kept quiet as the most amazing sensations shot through her like blissful lightning. She praised Rose's name in her mind while making sure to keep silent to avoid anyone coming in the room.

Rose's ears picked up on the soft, pleased noises coming from her best friend. Her heart swelled knowing that she was causing those moans, knowing that she was making Ileana feel so good. She felt like it was the least that she could do in order to drink from this delicious spring. She wished that she could stay with Ileana as they were forever.

Tears started to gather in the Princess' eyes as she felt like she was being overwhelmed. She felt like she was being washed away, gentle waves coursing through her body, breaking her down little by little, and carrying her away. Ileana was pretty sure that she was going to explode sometime very soon. When the tidal wave finally broke, Ileana bit her lip so hard that she drew blood.

The metallic smell of blood cut through the air like a swift sword and Rose peeked her head up. She saw Ileana's heaving chest and flushed features. Ileana looked down, eyes pleading to know why Rose had stopped.

Ileana was about to verbally beg Rose to keep going, but her mouth was not working. Besides, speaking about it was acknowledging that it was happening and that meant acknowledging that she was allowing Rose to do something that she knew was wrong. Instead of saying anything, Ileana rose her rather curved hips up from the bed, causing her body to come into contact with Rose's form. Rose purred from the contact and ducked her head back down.

Ileana gripped the sheets in anticipation and was not disappointed when Rose went back running her tongue along the inside of Ileana's legs. Tears once again gathered and poured from Ileana's eyes. The only thing keeping Rose from looking up to check on her friend was the fact that Ileana kept pushing herself into Rose, making the shorter teen aware that the tears were not from pain or sorrow.

Rose actually grinned to herself whenever Ileana lifted up off the bed. Rose was not sure why, but she felt pride in knowing that she could have such an affect on her friend. Although she did not even understand what that affect was. She did not care to understand it either; all she wanted was to be able to taste Ileana always and make her friend feel good forever.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was not able to think about what happened until the next morning when her mind was clear and she was somewhat awake. She wished that she could just skip her lessons and recover. Of course that did not happen. Her mind wandered for the day, though. _What got into my dearest Rose last night_? What had gotten into Rose the other night that she decided to live between her friend's legs for the night? Ileana could not think of the reason, but she tried to review what happened those days that made them different from other days. Nothing came to mind; everything seemed the same, except on the days that nothing happened, she had been hoping that something would.

 _And the moment I feel like I got over it, she pounces. I want to ask her, but we should not even be doing such a thing. Miss Olga explained all of this to me. No one is supposed to touch me there except for my husband, which I do not have, which Rose will never be. These activities are only supposed to take place between a man and a woman. Well, Rose certainly is not a man and she will never be one either. She does not even seem to think it is wrong. Yes, she gets shy afterwards, but while she is…touching me…she makes it seem as if she belongs there, as if I am hers…_ Ileana shook her head, trying to keep her mind focused. She stared at the dark ceiling; she was supposed to be sleeping…again.

She tried to think of what might have triggered Rose to act in such a way, but all she ended up doing was reliving the experience. It made her feel warm and then hot to the point that she felt like she was burning. She wanted to fan herself to cool down, but she knew that would not help.

Then she began squirming under her covers. Her body was starting to act up again and she knew that there was only way to ease the building discomfort, which was centralized between her legs. She knew that she required Rose's wonderful touch. She just did not want to admit it to herself.

Ileana frowned slightly as she could feel a throbbing and slickness gathering. She knew what the slickness was, but she never did understand the cause. Miss Olga had explained to her that it was mucus and just there to make it easier when her husband touched her; Miss Olga had been very cut and dry in her explanations, like she was reciting a medical book. Ileana thought it was quite disgusting that her body was producing mucus in parts other than her nose, but she thought about how much Rose seemed to enjoy it, so it was probably not that bad.

Now, her thoughts were focused on Rose. Her body started to react even more so, feeling tight and frustrated. _I require my Rose_ , she whined in her mind. She only wanted Rose. Rose was the only one that she ever wanted to ease her body and touch her soul.

The Princess then heard a soft _thud_ echo through the room; Rose had fallen out of bed again. Ileana felt her heart starting to speed up as she watched Rose make her way over to the bed. Ileana could barely make out Rose's profile because of the shadows, but she could see the glowing eyes and she could feel the intensity in the air coming from her dearest friend. Ileana licked her lips in anticipation.

Rose came to stand at the high bed. She stared down at Ileana, who returned the gaze. They did not speak, but they could feel what the other wanted. Rose's eyes held some embarrassment; she just could not believe that she was back again, testing her luck, luck she was already knew was bad. But, she could not help herself!

"Um…" Rose groaned, trying to think of something to say, something to express her desire. She wanted to know that she was welcome and not going overboard.

Ileana responded without words, reaching up and caressing Rose's soft cheek. Rose purred slightly and pressed herself into her cohort's hand. Golden eyes remained locked on hazel orbs, pleading Rose's case for her while she was busy rubbing her cheek into the Princess's hand.

Ileana pulled her hand away, causing Rose to whine in a low tone. Ileana put on a small smile to assure Rose that she was not being mean by taking her hand away. The Princess then peeled away her blankets. Rose had to take a step back as that wonderful smell impacted her senses. Ileana gave her friend a worried look, thinking that Rose was about to retreat. She quickly found out that she was very wrong.

Rose climbed up onto the bed, looking like something between a stalking cat and a cornered mouse. She was shaking, but not from her usual fear. A hand on her shoulder steadied her nerves and she looked up at Ileana. The Princess moved her hand and tenderly caressed Rose's cheek again.

Nerves at ease and a purr stuck in her throat, Rose turned her attention to the source of her favorite scent. Ileana slowly opened her legs, allotting Rose the space that she needed as she settled in between the long limbs. Ileana's chest heaved just thinking about what Rose was about to do.

The scent seemed to get stronger, demanding Rose's attention. She glanced up to look in Ileana's eyes, needing a little more assurance. Those hazel eyes told her everything that she needed to know. She went to the source of heaven, lapping for the divine nectar while Ileana tossed her head back. The Princess had to tuck her lip between her teeth again to keep from screaming.

 _How does she know?_ Ileana wondered for the brief moment that she was capable of coherent thought.

The Princess then had to bite back a moan. Better question, her mind decided, how did Rose know how to make her feel so good? How could Rose make something that Ileana was so sure was wrong feel so right? And then her mind went blank, no more questions, no more wondering. All she could do was experience and she gladly melted into oblivion as Rose touched her soul.

Rose had no questions at the time. Her brain was focused solely on her desire, tasting her fill and making her friend feel wonderful. As Ileana pressed her body further into Rose's mouth, the smaller teen went in for more, adding pressure as she tried to get every last sweet drop of her friend. The more she pressed, the more Ileana reacted, moving her body and moaning in low tones.

Rose paused in her actions when she felt Ileana's body trembling beneath her. She looked up while resting her chin on Ileana's hip. Once the Princess calmed down, she could feel eyes on her and looked down. She saw Rose watching her intently with curious eyes. She reached down and touched Rose's pale cheek without thinking, acknowledging Rose, where she was, and what they had just done.

The fox-eared teen was overcome with a new impulse as she felt Ileana's gentle hand on her face. She crawled up her friend's body, stopping once she got to the Princess' face, and leaned down. It was very clear what she was about to do. Ileana's heart and mind raced at the idea of being kissed by her best friend.

The friends' eyes locked, staring into the depths of each other's soul. Their breathing stilled and the world seemed like it was on pause. Rose's inched forward, making sure to keep her eyes on Ileana. Ileana licked her lips in anticipation.

Suddenly, something then clicked in Ileana's mind, reminding her of what she and her friend were doing. She then realized that Rose was not coming in for a regular kiss that they tended to share. Quivers began to run through Ileana's body that were different from the others; these felt something more akin to fear than anything. She remained still until a moment before Rose's lips would have landed on hers and Rose ended up kissing her cheek.

Ileana took note of how soft her friend's lips were. Rose's face scrunched up as she pulled away; she had not hit her intended target. She locked eyes with the Princess and looked perplexed for a brief moment. _I have bad aim_. _Ileana is much better at this kissing stuff_. Ileana put a hand to Rose's cheek and that got a smile out of the shorter teen. Ileana gave a tired smile of her own.

 _This is so wrong…_ Ileana thought. She knew that her expression was only encouragement to Rose, but she smiled anyway.

The Princess did not understand what brought Rose to her bed and she knew that she would continue to try to figure out what triggered Rose. Of course, she did try to figure out what it was that got Rose to come to her bed each time it happened. Even though she enjoyed the few encounters that they shared, she knew that it was not something that they should be doing. Still, she was not sure if she would ever have the power to stop Rose; she did not even have the power to stop herself from wanting more.

Although she would not admit it to herself, wanting more of Rose kept her trying to understand what made Rose come to her. If she could figure out what made Rose come to her, she could make it happen more often. Ileana was certain that it had to do with the wetness at her center. After all, her core was where Rose planted herself after making sure that she was allowed.

-8-8-8-8-

Night time was once again upon the city. The two friends were lying in their beds, but only one was asleep. Days had passed since Rose last came to her and Ileana was trying to work on that the dampness between her legs. She knew that the wetness showed up when she thought about what Rose did to her, so she remembered back to days ago and how good it felt. She moaned just from the thought and it did not take long for Rose to show up to help create new memories. In the end, Rose once again tried to kiss Ileana, but the Princess turned her head again, allowing for Rose's wet lips to land on her cheek.

Gradually, both girls became bolder with each other. Ileana figured out that the smell from her body attracted Rose. She also learned that sleeping without certain undergarments allowed the aroma hit Rose's sensitive nose much faster. It also made for a much better experience when Rose joined her.

Sometimes, Ileana tried to explore herself on her own before Rose could make it to the bed. She was curious, wondering what Rose found so fascinating and delighting about her. At first, she was a little disgusted when she felt the moisture on her fingers and she could not believe that Rose liked putting her tongue there, but as she started to stroke herself, the ripples of pleasure took everything from her mind. She learned that the sensations she received from her own exploration was nothing compared to the eruption and constant fires that raged through her body when Rose touched her there.

Rose began to let her hands stroll around Ileana's body on occasion, venturing as high as her friend's growing bosom, gently caressing soft flesh. She shamelessly put Ileana's legs on her shoulders for a better angle whenever she wanted more. More often than not, her fingers started to accompany her tongue. She wanted to know every inch of the Princess, inside and out. Ileana started to rock her hips with Rose's mouth and fingers, always silently pleading for more.

Sometimes, Ileana just wanted to scream to the ceiling, but always ended up grabbing a pillow to cover her whole face. Such actions at first worried Rose until she figured out that meant her friend was receiving great pleasure. After that, Rose's goal was to have Ileana reaching for a pillow.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was busy scrubbing some pans for Fry when the older woman walked by her. Fry would have continued on her way, but she stopped and sniffed the air. She turned her attention to her assistant and craned an eyebrow. She took another, deeper sniff and growled. Her thick tail thrashed violently behind her.

"You didn't," Fry gasped. Her face tensed and she stood in front of her little assistant.

Rose turned around, wondering what the elder was going on about. She looked down at the pan that she was washing and wondered if perhaps she was taking care of the wrong dishes. Before she had a chance to inquire about her mistake, Fry yanked her by the ear and pulled her away from the bustle of the kitchen. Rose did not whine or make any sound of distress; her ear had taken much worse abuse. Once again, Fry took another sniff to be sure.

"You did, didn't you?" Fry demanded to know, a snarl tugging at her slightly wrinkled lip. Her tail thrashed again, almost like it was going to hit Rose.

"Did what?" Rose asked, eyebrows curled up, eyes squinted, and mouth turned down into a perplexed frown. Her own tail swayed a little, trying to get away from the trouble that it's owner was about to get into. She could not help wondering how she kept managing to get in trouble, even without the help of her best friend.

"You do things with Princess? You lost little mind! That woman, she take ya head for this!" Fry hissed, which made it even harder to understand what she was barking about. It also did not help that she was trying to whisper to avoid everyone in the kitchen knowing what she was talking about. She glanced back into the loud area just to make sure no one was paying her and Rose any mind. From the looks of things, she and her charge were not missed.

"She doesn't know," Rose muttered, turning her eyes to the ground. She instantly appeared humble, almost like she wished there was a crack for her to crawl in.

"You think that always? She find out," Fry stated harshly. She tugged and twisted her assistant's ear.

Rose yowled in pain, but the noise was not loud. Fry did not release Rose's ear either. She knew that if she let go of Rose's ear, she would only go after the small teen in another way. The last thing she wanted to do was seriously hit the child, knowing that was how everyone else dealt with the silly teen.

"She didn't find out about how me and Ileana go outside and we've been doing that for years," the younger female argued.

"You push luck too hard. The woman, she kill you. You no do things with Princess!" Fry said in an angry whisper and she hit Rose in the head because of her fury. _Could this child be any stupider_ , Fry's mind demanded to know. Fry doubted it; Rose had just topped herself in stupidity.

"Why not? I've seen people doing things in the Cage. You said it wasn't bad when I asked you about them…except maybe it was bad that they were doing it out in the open. Then you said people do it when they like each other. I like Ileana a lot, so it's all right to do things with her," Rose reasoned. In fact, when she had asked Fry about the actions, everything that Fry told her helped ease her guilt because everything Fry said made sense to her. If she liked someone deeply then, it was all right to show that feeling in the manner that she did.

Fry pinched her nose and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. It did not calm her down as she hoped, so she took a deep breath too. She then slapped Rose in the head again, hoping that she knocked some sense into the decidedly stupid girl. Rose flinched a bit, but that was all; she was not being hit for it to hurt and she knew that.

"Rose, humans different than us. Ya just not do things with humans, especially Princess," Fry huffed, snorting through her nose after speaking.

"Why not? You said people do things when they like each other a lot. I like Ileana," Rose repeated. Fry was confusing her, which was something that she really was not used to. Generally, Fry explained things to her in an understanding and detailed manner. Right now, she was getting none of that and it was making her head hurt.

"Not the same! You like one of us, fine. You go ahead and do things then. You like Princess, get you killed! You stop doing things, you hear?" Fry commanded with a monstrous growl.

Rose gulped, trying to will her heart to stop pounding so heavily. "I can't," she admitted in a low, but strong tone.

"You will! Humans no care about us, about _you_! _I_ care if they kill you! They find you do things with her and you die! Get in ya fool brain! Even if Princess feel same, still kill you if they find out! Dogs no lie with humans! They see us as dogs. A dog no can be with a human. Be sure that and be sure that you die if you do things with _her_ ," Fry hissed out that last word like a striking snake. Every day she grew more certain that Rose's death would be the fault of the Princess; right now was practically confirmation for her.

"But…I like her…I feel right doing things with her…" Rose admitted in a quiet tone, looking down at her slipper-covered feet.

"You only child. You think it feel right 'cause you friends and doing things almost always feels good. You need stop this. You do things and you get killed," Fry stated as soundly as she possibly, hoping that she was getting through what she knew to be a very thick skull.

"I like her…" Rose whispered now, sounding almost angry while replying. All she could do was recall that Fry, her mentor, told her quite plainly that "doing things" was natural, especially between two people that liked each other. Well, she liked Ileana and she was certain that Ileana liked her. Ileana never objected to "doing things" either, so she did not see what the problem was.

"You such fool," Fry spat and she stormed off. _Damned pup_ , she cursed in her mind. _Damned stupid pup that going to get self killed_.

Rose stared at her feet while her mind wandered. She could not figure out what was foolish about "doing things" with Ileana. She recalled the things that she had seen in the Cage when she was left there for punishments and how confused she was about them until her mentor explained almost everything that Rose saw.

Fry told Rose that people "doing things" were not doing anything wrong. Many teens and adults did "things," which was the term that most daijinn used when referring to sex. Fry told her that people did "things" together when they liked each other, but she never thought to explain what she meant by "liked" each other. Rose was certain that she liked Ileana and they were both teenagers, so she figured that it was quite all right for them to be "doing things." And when she had asked about it more recently, without putting her name or Ileana's name in it, Fry had only reassured her that everything was fine. It helped her feel more comfortable about "doing things" and helped her become more intrepid at night with Ileana.

"Is it because she's the Princess? I mean, she can't do a lot of things that I've seen other people do, so maybe that's probably why Fry was so upset with me. I can't help it, though. I like Ileana. She's my best friend…" Rose muttered to herself.

Later that night, when she was curled up in Ileana's bed in a chaste embrace, Rose really wanted to ask Ileana what she thought about everything, but she found herself afraid to know the answer. Something in the Princess' eyes told her that she should not ask. So, she remained quiet and just hoped that she could continue "doing things" with Ileana.

"Are you all right, my little iris?" Ileana asked curiously, looking down at Rose.

The Princess held onto Rose tightly, one hand rubbing Rose's ear and the other tracing invisible patterns on Rose's arm. Rose was curled into Ileana's chest, listening to her friend's heart beat and trying to get her own mind in order. Ileana could see slight wrinkles in Rose's forehead, like the fox-eared teen was in deep thought.

"Fine. I'm right where I want to be, after all," Rose answered and she let loose one of her rare, small smile. Ileana smiled brightly at that.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: A guest shows up from Rose's past and seals the fate of her future.


	17. 16: White, hot fury

16: White, hot fury

Ileana was sitting at her desk in her bedroom, listening to Miss Olga say…something. Okay, maybe she was not so much listening as she was absently nodding to whatever was coming out of the blue-eyed woman's mouth. Miss Olga seemed to catch on because she stopped talking after a few minutes.

"Princess, have you heard a word that I have said?" Miss Olga demanded to know. Her tight face was a bit tenser than usual thanks to her frustrating charge. She was standing to the right of the younger woman with her ice blue eyes focused directly on the Princess.

Ileana debated with herself if she should answer honestly or pretend that she was distracted by something. She thought that it might be better to pretend because she was not in the mood to hear a scolding about how she was being rude by not listening. She noticed the impatient glare coming her way, so she knew that it was about time for her to say something.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Olga. My mind was miles away, thinking about the guests that Father is going to have at the palace soon. I was just wondering what type of people they were," Ileana lied smoothly. She wondered if it was a bad sign to be able to lie so effortlessly to the face of the woman that cared for her for her whole life.

"I was trying to tell you of these guests, which you would know if you were only listening to me, as a good young lady would. Now, if you would settle down and just turn your ears to me, you will know about the guests," Miss Olga stated plainly.

Ileana nodded and she silently decided to pay attention. She could let her mind wander when Miss Olga was done, she told herself. She was going to think about Rose, which was what she had been doing before Miss Olga broke into her thoughts. For the moment, she focused her eyes on her governess.

"Now, the band of men coming to see your father are important soldiers, or so they call themselves. Little more than bandits if you ask me, which is why I will implore you to watch yourself around these characters. Your father might trust them, but I have seen their messenger and I do not trust them, from the sight of him alone" Miss Olga admitted with her usual abrupt manner.

Ileana nodded. "Perhaps I could have Rose by my side…" she suggested and she could not believe what her mouth was saying. She braced herself for what she was sure was going to be a storm of objections from her caretaker.

Miss Olga was silent for a moment. "Perhaps," she seemed to concur.

The governess would like to think that despite how much trouble Rose seemed to get the Princess into, she would protect the Princess if something were to go wrong. Rose would be right there to react if necessary. Also, having a "dog" by her side might keep certain people away from the Princess, she considered.

Ileana had to hold in the urge to grin. She did not think that her slip-of-the-tongue would work. She was going to be able to have Rose by her side!

The Princess' internal celebration ceased as she began to wonder about the nature of her father's guests. It sounded as if they actually struck fear into Miss Olga. It had to be fear if Miss Olga had agreed for Rose to be by her side, Ileana concluded. Miss Olga seemed to be reaching for any sort of protection that Ileana could have around these men. She hoped that they were not as terrible as Miss Olga seemed to think they were.

"What did this messenger look like?" Ileana asked curiously. He had to be quite the unkempt heathen based on Miss Olga's words, she thought.

"It was not so much what he looked like as it was the way that he acted. A man that has never been to court is easy to spot, even if he is dressed the part. The nature of his teeth and eyes do not lie either. Those people are more than likely bandits or just a step above bandits. They just happen to be successful bandits and can afford to put on clothes to try to disguise their nature. I do not see why your father would want you there when they arrive," Miss Olga replied, trying to keep the bite out of her tone. She was not successful in keeping the look of pure disgust out of her eyes. The King's plan to entertain his guests with his children in the same area did not sit well with her. She was going to make sure that she kept an eye on both royal children and she would make any man regret trying to harm them if things came to that, she silently vowed.

"It will be fine, Miss Olga. My father is not a foolish man and Rose is quite capable in protecting me if necessary. You have seen what a little powerhouse she has grown into," Ileana pointed out with a small smile, hoping that the expression set the older woman at ease.

Miss Olga nodded, seeming to agree. She more hoped that Rose's supposed animal instincts took over if something happened because she doubted that the little mute chef could do much without instincts. She had seen Rose cower and shake over every little thing, so she was not too sure that Rose could do much acting on her own. Still, she was willing to take that chance if it would mean the Princess was safe. And, if the dog failed, she would always be there, Miss Olga reminded herself.

"So, tell me more about these guests," Ileana requested in an easy tone. She wanted to be prepared for them to avoid embarrassing herself or her father. She doubted it would look well for their court if she sneered at the sight of her father's guests.

"I do not know much aside for what I have told you and your father wishes you and your brother there for a dinner with them," Miss Olga reported.

Ileana almost grinned, but she caught herself; a small smile did creep onto her face. Just the thought of seeing her brother was enough for her to jump out of her seat, but she controlled herself as best she could. Her heart did race at the idea that she would get to see Viktor. It had been so long, she recalled; he was probably so tall now.

She had been forbidden to see her brother for reasons that she never understood. Her father was always telling her that he did not want Viktor to be distracted from his studies and training; not that he even bothered to tell her what sort of training her brother was undergoing. After all, their father was preparing Viktor for his birthright, being the next king, and that was what Viktor needed to focus all of his attention on.

Ileana figured that was all fine and well, but it made little sense when Viktor was a baby. Her father always had some excuse to keep her from her brother. She wondered if he did the same thing to her mother when the Queen was around. It would explain why she had seen so little of her mother when Lucia lived in the palace. It would also explain why she had not heard from her mother since she left; her father was probably keeping letters from her or ordered her mother not to write, she speculated. She could not understand why her father seemed so intent on breaking up and separating their family, but she utterly hated it.

Ileana tried to shake those thoughts away, not wanting to upset herself. She knew that she followed her father's orders just as well as her mother did. Her mother would sneak to see her sometimes and she did the same with her brother; more often than her mother did with her, actually. It was easier for her since she knew the hidden tunnels in the palace so well thanks to all of her exploring when she was younger.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose frowned as some servants dressed her in the proper fashion to accompany Ileana to meet with the King's guests. She glanced over at Ileana, knowing that Ileana found the whole thing funny. She disliked being put in appropriate clothing, being much more comfortable with walking around in the plain cotton attire, than the royal silks that she was wearing now. The smaller teen frowned as the servants yanked on the sleeves of her shirt, trying to get the garments to fit on her petite, yet stocky frame. She then turned her eyes to the floor while trying not to squirm as her sleeve was fixed for what she was sure was the umpteenth time. Ileana continued to look amused.

 _How do I let her talk me into these things?_ Rose wondered. Once again, it was not so much the talking that convinced her, but the big hazel eyes that had begged for her presence.

The smaller girl was ready to go minutes later and took her place at Ileana's side. The Princess grabbed her by the hand and they went to greet the King's arriving guests. The hand holding her helped calm her down some and she stopped thinking about how she got talked into this. So far, everything seemed normal enough to Rose, even though she had never accompanied Ileana to one of these greeting sessions before. She suspected that she would only have to stand by Ileana, as she did at parties and such. That seemed simple enough.

The weather was beautiful out, so the King decided to greet his guests outside of the palace housing. There were three chairs at the front gates of the palace on top of the stairs that led into the royal home. The three lavish chairs were put on a platform, making them higher than other objects around them.

Ileana was the first member of the royal family to arrive, but that did not last long. King Vladimir and Prince Viktor showed up moments later. Ileana smiled brightly as soon as she caught sight of her baby brother.

Viktor was seven. He was barely four feet tall, but he seemed so much taller to his sister, who was barely able to contain a grin. His ebony hair was pulled back into a tight braided ponytail; Ileana thought that it might be a bit too tight because it seemed to be tugging on his cherubic face. His face was almost chalk-white now when it used to be creamy like Rose's complexion, but he went out in the sun much less than the fox-eared teen. He turned to both teenagers with his large, deep brown eyes that lit up like fireworks as soon as he saw the girls.

"Illie! Rosie!" Viktor proclaimed with a brilliantly bright smile on his face that showed all of his pearly white teeth. He was about to run to them, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at the arm and followed it to see it was attached to his father. He turned his eyes up to his father, who was frowning and shaking his head in a disapproving manner.

Viktor sighed and his demeanor visibly fell. His shoulders slumped and he eyed the ground with keen fascination for a moment. He then watched his sister and Rose from underneath his lashes, grin in place on his youthful face once again. Ileana smiled back at him; Rose did too, but her expression was much smaller than the Princess's smile.

"Let's take our seats," Vladimir commanded with a deep grunt, sounding like a moose.

The King took the middle, much more elaborate golden chair. Ileana sat to his left while Viktor sat to his right. The right chair was made of gold with designs of phoenixes rising from fire. Ileana's chair was silver with floral designs of roses in different stages of blooming coating it.

Rose stood behind Ileana, patiently waiting to see who the King's guests were. There was a tremble in her stomach. The tremor was not like her usual anxiety. She did hope that it was not a signal that her stomach was going to betray her. She hated to think what might become of her if her breakfast made a return trip and landed on Ileana…or even worse, King Vladimir. She could not figure out what was causing her nerves to scream and jump, but she tried her best not to show it.

Ileana could feel the slightest of movement, vibrating through her chair. She glanced to her side and could see Rose clenching and unclenching her fist. She quickly took the shaking hand into her own, silently noting that Rose's hand felt as if it was larger than hers. The instant connection kept Rose from making a fist, but it did not stop her insides from churning, feeling as if they were turning themselves inside out.

Golden eyes watched as the front gates opened and a column of men marched toward them. They were in lines, going two-by-two, shoulder to shoulder, and in complete step with each other, creating a rhythm as their boots impacted the stone walkway. Their uniforms consisted of midnight blue robes with waist length, tan leather vests with black dragons painted on them. The men were clean shaven and their hair combed back, without anything amiss. They appeared to be honorable soldiers, but Rose could smell filth quite clear on them before they even made it to the stairs.

The inferno burning inside of Rose intensified and her mind was starting to signal her legs that she needed to run. She stood her ground and continued to watch the guests pour in, sounding like thunder as their boots continued pounding the stone and they kept their two-by-two formation. She wondered how many men were going to enter the front courtyard. Ileana wondered the same and began to grip Rose's hand tighter as the train of uniformed warriors did not stop.

Thankfully, the courtyard was more than wide enough to hold everyone. The soldiers formed longer lines as they came to the stairs that led to the royal family. The warriors left a pathway between their rows.

Ileana craned an eyebrow as a man at the back of the lines proceeded in on a large, deep brown stallion. The man had his head held high and his eyes scanned the scene as if he ran the entire world. He was actually not the end of the parade, though.

The Princess had never seen anyone allowed to enter the courtyard on a horse and she could only wonder what was so special about these particular guests. Her mind begged the question: _who are they?_ Had the kingdom been invaded? She even dared to think that her father might have recently lost a war, but she did not see how he would be able to hide an entire war from her.

Rose's chest was starting to hurt as the man on horseback stopped before the stairs leading to the royal family. The short teen's breathing was trying to come in pants, but she kept it under control. She had a lot of practice with breathing thanks to her panic attacks through the years, so she was able to keep from hyperventilating. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering what was wrong with her.

 _Why am I reacting like this? I've been around people before. They're not going to hurt me. They're not going to hurt me,_ Rose repeated mentally over and over again. She felt a squeeze on her hand, which actually compounded her stress. Her mind threw out the idea that maybe the people were not going to hurt her, but they could hurt Ileana or Viktor. Rose had to swallow down bile rising in her throat.

"King Vladimir, I present to you the leader of the Black Dragons, Garrick Claymore," the man on the horse announced. He motioned behind him, directing everyone's attention that way.

Rose flinched as another man on horseback began to approach. He was riding a jet black stallion and seemed larger than life. He was draped in a black cape, covering massive shoulders, and hanging behind him like a tangible aura. His posture was that of a man that ruled the world. His eyes cobalt eyes blazed with arrogance and looked down on all those around him. A small smirk adorned his strong, tan face.

A scent assaulted Rose as a breeze blew and she was flooded with images of fire, soul-shattering screams, and so much blood. She closed her eyes, hoping the images would go away, but she could now see everything clearly. The fires raging; she could almost feel the flames licking at her skin, charring her flesh. Her heart pounded, sounding like thunder in her ears.

Rose wanted to run; her mind was begging her to run. Her shoulder muscles started to jump and spasms racked her calves, but her feet refused to move. She was stuck; she would describe herself as trapped considering the feelings of dread coursing through her whole system. She was going to face whatever terrors plagued her, which only added to her fright.

The leader of the Black Dragons was upon them and Rose was sure that her heart exploded in her chest as she laid eyes on the man. He was a giant of a man with a huge claymore style sword strapped to his back. The sword itself was unforgettable. Garrick was dressed in similar clothing as his men, but he had on a black leather vest, matching his pitch black hair. His tan face was clean and devoid of facial hair, showing off his distinguished cheek bones and firm jaw. But, his blue eyes felt like they cut Rose right in half.

Rose started to hyperventilate, her chest rising as far as possible and falling almost as if it was going to cave in. _It was him_ , her mind repeated over and over again as her body trembled as if she was experiencing an internal earthquake. Tears started pouring down her cheeks and she pulled away from Ileana's hand. Ileana turned around to see what was wrong with her best friend.

Ileana watched as Rose's eyes transformed from panicked golden orbs to flashes of molten metal, like boiling sun light. The smaller teen started panting heavy and her face twisted into a savage expression, like an attacking lion. Her teeth were on display thanks to snarling lips, showing off long, sharp canine teeth that gleamed in the light of day.

"Rose…?" Ileana said hesitantly. Thankfully, through the years people had learned to ignore Rose's presence altogether, so Ileana did not have to deal with her father yelling at Rose.

Rose clawed at her right shoulder like she was scratching it harshly, hoping to ease away a somewhat familiar ache centering in her shoulder and working its way down the whole arm. Her head then shot up and she locked eyes with Garrick Claymore. She roared, a sound that seemed to come from the depths of anguish and the pits of Hell, and then launched herself at him with her claws out. She did not even seem to care that she had just tried to leap down fifty steps in one bound.

"Rose!" Ileana cried out, pushing herself up from her chair. She was not sure what to do with herself once she was on her feet; there did not seem to be anything that she could do.

It was too late; Rose was gone, in more ways than one. It did not take a second for her to get to Garrick, despite all of the stairs. She tackled him off of his horse and planted herself on his chest. She snorted, warm breath shooting from her nose and slapping him in the face, as she drew her right hand back, claws out and arm pulsing as if it was going to split in two. Her arm wanted his blood as badly as the rest of her.

"Filthy mutt!" Garrick growled and his massive hand wrapped around her neck.

"Let her go!" Ileana commanded as she saw the guest was strangling her best friend. She was about to leap down the stairs too, but a guard held her back.

"Seize the dog!" King Vladimir commanded. He did not even bother to get up from his seat. His tone of voice was almost bored, even though the light in his eyes showed a glimmer of rage.

Rose, who did not even seem to notice or care that she was being choked, was still trying intently to tear Garrick's chest open, but her arms were not long enough now that he was holding her body away from his. Guards came and yanked Rose away from him; she had his hand print—plain and crimson—on her pale neck. Hot tears still trailed down her cheek as she struggled against five large men, screaming nonsense words as she tried to get back to the object of her fury and hatred. They were having more trouble than anyone thought possible handling such a small—though obviously wild—creature.

"Be careful with her!" Ileana ordered as she rushed down the stairs to her best friend. Her brother was right behind her.

The guards scoffed; if they were careful with the dog, they were certain that she would claw their arms off. She managed to latch her claws into a leg and a guard fell, screaming in agony as his blood poured out onto the stone walkway. The King snorted and pulled himself out of his seat before he was any more embarrassed by the scene his incompetent guards were performing. He strolled down the stairs and then calmly spoke the words that Rose never wanted to hear.

Rose roared as if the devil himself had assaulted her. The noise was so gut-wrenching that everyone took a step back from her and just looked at her as she convulsed and tore at her neck rein, trying to tear the painful device away. After a few coughs, she dropped to the floor, unable to fight off the pain. She did fight to remain conscious, though. She refused to let that man out of her sights.

"Rose! Are you all right? What did Father do to you?" Ileana begged to know as she fell to her friend's side. She put her hands out, but did not touch the smaller teen, scared that touching her might cause Rose even more agony. She knew the phrase that her father spoke, recalling it was told to her years ago and would help her keep Rose "in check." Was that what Miss Olga meant back then? That saying those words would cause her dearest friend to have remarkable fits of sheer pain?

"Take her to the dungeon!" Vladimir informed the guards in a cool tone, turning away from the whole scene. He did not even regard Ileana and her obvious distress. He returned to his seat as if everything was fine.

"The dungeon?" Ileana and Viktor hollered in shock, turning their eyes to their father. Viktor's large brown eyes begged for forgiveness while Ileana's hazel eyes blazed as a frown settled on her face.

"She is to be held for attacking a guest. Forgive the dog, Garrick. She is just a beast, after all," Vladimir said callously while Rose was dragged off. The royal siblings tried to follow, but other guards held them back.

"Be still, Princess. Your dog is dangerous," a guard said, trying to keep a grip on the teen without hurting her.

"Rose is not dangerous! Rose!" Ileana screamed at the top of her lungs as tears began pouring from her eyes.

Rose turned around, but not to look at her friend. Her eyes locked on Garrick and she snarled again, trying to tear away from the men holding her. The rage that was ruling her boiled like a river of lava and spread through her more at the sight of Garrick. She just wanted to rip his throat out, make him feel her wrath as completely as possible, and avenge all those lives she could only barely recall him taking. Her plan was being thoroughly thwarted by the guards holding her back. But, her whole body and spirit refused to be denied, not even if all of the palace guards held her back and if her reins were pulled.

Rose roared again and surprised the guards as she started tearing away from their grip. They watched in horror as they realized that they could not hold onto the little teen. Rose was loose and headed right for the target of her hatred. Her claws flashed in the sunlight and an anguished snarl escaped her throat. Eyes were wide with terror as the scene seemed to go in slow motion for the bystanders.

King Vladimir appeared to be quite bored with the whole matter. He leaned forward and in his normal voice uttered the entire phrase that Rose never wanted to hear. Her sensitive ears picked up on it and apparently her reins did too. The reins activated and Rose dropped to the ground, bellowing a gut-wrenching cry. Ileana's body froze and felt like it shattered when the sound of her best friend's pain reached her.

"Now, take her away," King Vladimir commanded his guards.

Rose was in no shape to put up a fight now. Her body pulsed and trembled as mind-numbing agonies traversed every nerve-ending in her form. She was swiftly carried off by a single guard while her best friend stood back, completely dumbfounded and in total shock by what was taking place.

Before her mind was able to completely comprehend what just happened, a single tear slid down Ileana's face. She strolled off in a daze, quickly finding a hidden corner and her emotions poured out of her as soon as she was out of sight. She dropped to her knees and held her head, which was pounding as she tried to figure out what was going on. Viktor went to her side and rubbed her back; in the back of her mind, she wondered how he knew to do that since she was pretty sure no one ever comforted him since all of his servants were "burly manly" men.

"Are you all right, Garrick?" the King inquired, not even sparing his daughter one glance. He did make a motion to his servants and they carried the overwrought girl back inside the palace.

Viktor ran after her, his little legs having trouble keeping up with the adults' long strides. He needed to make sure that his sister was all right. He also wanted her to explain what happened to Rose. _Why did Rose attack Father's guest? Why was Rose so angry?_ He believed that Ileana would know the answers to those questions and many more. Vladimir did not spare his son a glance either, keeping his attention focused on Garrick.

"I'm fine. I've dealt with these filthy animals on more than one occasion. One little beast can't do anything to me," Garrick stated with his chin held high and arrogance deep in his voice. Looking at him now, no one would believe that just moments ago a "dog" tried to kill him.

"Good to know. Now, we have business to discuss. I am going to have to ask you to leave your sword with a servant. I am sure you understand," Vladimir commented.

Garrick let out hearty laugh for whatever reason and then removed his thick claymore from his back. A royal servant appeared out of nowhere at his feet, crouching to receive the sword. The claymore was placed in the servants hands and the slender royal servant fell over from the weight. Garrick burst out laughing again, much louder than before.

"On to business," the King declared. He did not give his daughter a second thought, but he did think about a certain pup that was sitting in the dungeon now.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the King goes to visit with Rose and she learns her fate.


	18. 17: Darkness

17: Darkness

Rose had calmed down a considerable amount now that she had been sitting in a tiny, dirty, windowless cell for who-knew-how-long. The aroma of mold and death were her only companions. The dungeon was such a hellhole that even the rats dared not venture too deeply inside the cells.

She was sitting in a corner, hair hiding her sweaty, tear-stained face. She was still, unmoving except for the occasional and random jumps from her muscles. She could not stop the involuntary movements and she did not care enough to try. They tried to kill her, her mind pointed out; it was one of the few points that her mind liked to dwell on right now. They had "pulled" her reins several times in a row, laughing as she cried out in dizzying agony. But, she refused to die.

"I will not die until I hold his heart in my hands and take a bite out it!" Rose growled to the humid, choking air.

Her hands trembled as she thought about how close she was to _him_ , how close she was to having his blood on her fingertips, how close she was to tearing his entire windpipe through his neck. She looked down at her palms, recalling how pained her right arm was at the time and how it still throbbed a bit now. On her wrist, the mysterious black tattoo from years ago seemed thicker and there were more lines now. The four main lines curved more and wrapped around, shooting into her palm and down her forearm, disappearing underneath her reins. She dismissed them from her mind, wishing that there were scarlet droplets on her hand rather than onyx lines. She desired Garrick's blood to paint her pale skin.

"One day…" she promised herself. One day her hands would be caked with the blood and gore of that man and she would feast on the feeling. "He will pay for his crimes. For my clan. For my family. For my brother," she vowed with a snarl.

Rose was drawn from the deep, dark recesses of her mind as she heard footsteps approaching her cell. Boots made so much noise on cement, she noted; but, again, so did a lot of things, like the dripping water down the damp hallway. Even the darkness seemed to have an echo in the tiny cell. The noise stopped in front of the metallic cell door and she supposed it was time for someone to "pull" her reins again. She did not bother to look up as she listened to the door open.

"Face me, dog," the familiar growl of King Vladimir pierced her ears.

Rose did not bother to raise her head. She cut him a glance, eyeing him through her thick, messy bangs. Golden eyes sliced through the untamed black and red locks, shearing right through Vladimir. He almost took a step back, but then stopped.

"If you cannot listen…" Vladimir trailed off, his threat implied.

The teen still did not spare him more than that one glance. She did not care about him. Her mind focused on one thing and one thing alone; she wanted to kill that man—Garrick Claymore.

He spoke the words, more cruelly than Rose had ever heard anyone say that damnable phrase. He also spoke with a smile on his face; Miss Olga never even smiled when pulling her reins, no matter what offense the governess thought that she was guilty of. Her reins flashed and she hollered like an injured beast. She mentally cursed whoever thought to put levels in her reins, making the words "royal salvation for all eternity and beyond" the most evil phrase on the planet to her.

"Now, maybe I have your attention, fool," Vladimir growled as he stepped over to the writhing teen. He put his boot on her back, pressing onto her spine.

Rose began to cough and clawed at the ground, which was so rough that the cement tore away her flesh. Blood oozed out of her nose and from the corners of her mouth, dripping to the dusty floor. She snarled as he pressed his heel into her back even more, causing searing pain to her already agonized and exhausted body.

"You think because you are my daughter's pet that you can do whatever you wish? That is not the case. You think that you can just attack my guests? That is also not the case. I hope you enjoyed your life here, as it will be ending here too," Vladimir stated with slicing vindictiveness in his voice.

Rose snarled like a raging wolf; she would not die yet! She had unfinished business with that bastard of a guest. She scratched at the ground more, now trying to pull herself out from underneath the King's shoe. He glared down at her, sadistic smile on his face, and he dug his heel into her back. She howled in pain; he unknowingly hit on a bruise that she was sporting courtesy of one of the guards, making the agony even more intense.

"You have had your run and will with my daughter, but that comes to an end. You are nothing more than a pet to her and she will not miss you when you are gone, mutt. She will not even mourn your death. She thinks about you less than she does about dying grass. She does not even care that you are down here or what is happening to you. Remember that for your final hours. You are worthless, no one cares if you die, and no one will remember you after you have been put to sleep. She will not even shed a tear for you, mutt. She would not even come to see you while you are down here rotting," Vladimir proclaimed with so much venom that it was surprising his tongue was not forked.

He then kicked her sore, battered body as if she was useless trash. She crashed into the stone wall and snarled as pain ripped through her body. She shot up, survival instinct driving her to defend herself and prevent another attack. She looked as she was going to tear toward him. His cold eyes dared her to do it, but she halted.

 _It's not his blood I want,_ Rose mentally reminded herself. That thought kept her in place.

"Now, be a good dog and die a nice, quiet death. Do not squirm too much when the axeman takes you to his block," Vladimir said, chuckling at his own remark.

The King exited the tiny room, leaving Rose to the heat, dust, and heavy thoughts in her ever darkening mind. She growled as she picked herself up and returned to the far corner of the room. She sneered at the door, imagining the King was still standing there.

 _What does he know? She is my best friend. I am much more than a pet to her. We have a much stronger bond than he would ever know, than anyone would ever know. She would miss me if I were to die. As far as her coming to see me, right now, he probably won't let her. She'll probably find a way to sneak down here,_ Rose told herself. After all, Ileana always found a way to sneak some place.

Rose turned her attention back to her hands and thought about how close she had been to _him_. She could smell his foul odor; he smelled like blood and sweat. She just wanted to vomit, but there was nothing in her stomach to give. She stared blankly at the floor, thinking about how close she had been to that bastard, to that murderer, Garrick Claymore.

"I will never forgive him," Rose vowed. She would not be sated and she would not die until he was not among the living anymore, she promised herself.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose was not sure how much time passed while she was in that dark, damp cell, but it was long enough for her to feel like her stomach was eating her other organs to keep her alive. Other than hungry and maddening thirst, she really had no way to tell how long she was trapped in that small box.

She was sure that she was there long enough to let dark thoughts creep out of her mind and act as her only company. After the visit by the King, she did dwell on the fact that her preferred company would show up…some time. So far, nothing. Only her thoughts and they were starting to block out everything, consume all that was or would ever be. They took her from her cell, but only left her some place far unpleasant—back to that burning campsite, back to being covered in her brother's blood, back to the pain that humans had caused and continued to cause her, and a crushing loneliness that hollowed her out with every second that she was alone. There was nothing else, no sight, no sound, no smell, just the all-consuming darkness for all eternity consuming her inside and out.

Then, quite suddenly, the door to her cell snapped open, the metal slamming against the stone walls as if punishing it. Her heart jumped, thinking that it might be the only person that she wanted to see, but it was just two guards. She could guess what they wanted.

"Come on, dog," they both ordered in matching harsh tones. She wondered with grim humor if they were a matched set from the way they were speaking.

Rose climbed to her feet, stumbling as she did. She staggered for the length of the room, but managed to stay on her feet through the whole trip across the cell. The guards snatched her up once she was close, only to slam her against the outside wall in the hall. _Yeah, that helped_ , she thought sarcastically while the guards chuckled, thinking that they had hurt her. The idiot guards had no idea how numb she felt right now. She doubted that she would even feel the axe before it took her head off.

The pair dragged her down the dim hall that seemed to stretch on forever until they got to a narrow door. She was taken out into the light for the first time in who-knew-how-long. The sunlight blinded her, but her nose could smell grass and her ears could hear murmuring, but it all seemed muted. The darkness from her cell still seemed to follow her because nothing seemed vibrant and everything held a touch of deep despair to her.

She was in a small courtyard surrounded by smooth walls that were thirteen feet high. There were bushes lining the gray walls. The bushes had flowers in them; the wonderful scent reaching her nose, but seemed to die before she was able to fully take it in, while her eyes were still adjusting to the gift of the sun. The aroma of the flowers made her heart sink and the sight of them as her vision cleared up did the same. There was so much beauty in the world, she thought; none of it made for her, she silently conceded. And now all of it ruined for her, all of it seeming to be bitter and spoiled.

Finally, golden eyes took notice that she was not the only one in the courtyard. There was a lone man waiting, shamelessly holding a thick axe on his shoulder. By his feet, there was a small, onyx block.

Rose was pushed to her knees before her eyes had a chance to fully adjust to the outside world. Her hands were bound behind her back and when she tried to lift her head, a heavy hand slammed it back down against the rock. She snorted, but did not give any indication that she was in pain. Blood flowed freely from her newly wounded head, staining her already grimy face.

Beaten, broken, and mind halfway gone, Rose desired to give up, rest her weary head, and accept her fate. Suddenly, a smell hit her nose with the same force as a spiked mace; it was the King. He was there to witness her get her head chopped off. His scent reminded her that she had been alone in her cell, just as he promised. Ileana had not come as she had sworn to herself the Princess would. _I am_ _worthless_ , she concluded; so worthless that her best friend did not bother to see her before she was put to death. She had nothing left in life, except for one thing: her rage. Her revenge.

She thought about everything that was taken from her at the hands of humans. Her family, her clan, her peace of mind, and even her sense of worth. Making it worse, the last one was due mainly to the person that she thought cared about her, the one person that she viewed as precious, the person that was her entire world—her dearest Ileana. Just the thought that everything with Ileana was a lie made Rose's blood boil, her breathing increased, and hot tears gathered in her eyes. She was nothing; she had nothing. There was no reason for her to exist… _Except revenge,_ she reminded herself.

She was all alone in the world. She was dead, she told herself. The only reason her body still wandered the land of the living was to take Garrick to the underworld with her. She had to do that one thing. She would swallow all of her pain, let it gather into a ball in the depths of her soul, and allowed it to control the rest of her life. Images of her brother's death, of the fire claiming her people, of the endless beatings that she had endured, and of the eternal agony that she had been put through thanks to one man raced through her mind and body.

Rose rotated her right shoulder as she began to feel her right arm throb, like her wrath was taking up residency in that limb. Her breathing increased to the point that she was panting and she felt herself let out a roar that had to wake up the gods. Her bellow did not seem to bother the executioner because he raised his axe, readying to bring it down on her young head.

"NO!" Rose screamed as fire engulfed her entire right arm. Her bounds broke away from her right arm and her right rein shattered, pieces raining down onto the lush grass.

Her claws extended and she leaped to her feet, cutting through the arm of her would-be executioner. Before he realized that he was missing a hand, he tried to reach out and grab her. He could only wonder why he was not catching her, which was when he noticed that he was attempting to retrieve her with the hand that was holding his weapon. He thought that she had just knocked his weapon out of his hand, but upon further inspection, she had severed his hand from his wrist. His eyes went wide as the odor of charred flesh crashed against his nose; his wound was actually burned shut. He hollered in shock and pain as the realization set in that he no longer had a hand.

"Get that little bitch!" the executioner hollered, speaking to the guards that brought Rose into the yard.

Rose did not pay the guards any mind as they were about to charge her. She easily bounded the wall, arm still ablaze. She raced through the palace gardens, listening as orders were being barked out to find her. She knew that as long as she was out in the open around the palace, someone would eventually get to her. She needed to get out of sight. This was easily done thanks to the many hidden tunnels littering the palace and she used them to her advantage. She ran through the tunnels, ears alert in case the guards figured out where she was.

She was very tempted to sniff out her enemy, punish him for all of the lives he had ruined. She still had the urge to feel his blood on her hands and watch the life drain from his form. Another part of her was tempted to run to Ileana; that urge was tearing at her more than the bloodlust. Even with her thirst for revenge and feeling of abandonment, piece of her still wanted comfort and assurance from the Princess. Gritting her teeth and pushing all feelings aside, she resisted both urges.

 _I just need to get out for now…_ Rose panted. Right now, the situation was just too risky and she was not in the best shape to do anything besides flee.

After navigating the labyrinth of corridors, Rose escaped the palace from a tunnel that led out into the forest that was beyond the city walls. She knew from Ileana's stories that these hidden halls were fashioned as a means of escape in case the palace was under attack. It was a long, dark path and Rose was not sure if she would make it to the end. She was dragging her tired, starving body through the narrow passageway with her last bit of strength.

She wished that she was able to just pilot the tunnel without thinking at all, but she needed to stay alert, not just because people were chasing her, but because the hidden halls were mazes. One false move and she would be lost in the tunnels forever. She had thankfully traveled the hall enough to know the right way and she did have her heightened senses to help her. She just needed to stay awake long enough to get away.

She pulled herself through the tunnel that she knew led to her freedom, but with every step that she took, her limbs burned from fatigue. Her lungs ached from exhaustion. Her stomach felt like it folded into itself. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton, wishing for just a drop of water. She could hear her heart beating. It sounded slow to her, and was getting slower with each beat that chimed in her ears.

Just as Rose swore that she was going to collapse, she started to smell fresh air. She grinned and tried to run, which was difficult because of her throbbing limbs. She ceased the attempt a mere second after she started. She supported herself with a hand on the side of the wall and kept on moving.

Soon, sunlight washed over Rose's face, bathing her in precious, warm light. She took a deep breath as she emerged from the tunnel into the dense forest. She breathed in the heavenly fresh air as if it was her salvation. She was free, free of the palace, free of the city, free of the humans. She felt a small breeze kiss her as if it loved her.

 _It would be the only thing that does,_ she thought bitterly to herself.

Instead of dwelling on all of the pain that was building inside of her, Rose pressed on. She needed to put distance between her and her enemies. She needed food and she was fairly certain that she would stumble across some in the lush forest.

The sun wandered the sky, beaming down on the teen as she pushed through brushes, gathering scratches on her arms and legs. Some small critters crossed her path, but she dared not go after them. She doubted that she could catch anything to eat in her current condition. She needed something that was not moving, but still edible.

When night began to approach, Rose started to think that she would not make it a step farther. She collapsed, landing face down on a bush. She was about to lose consciousness when her nose caught a whiff of something her stomach responded to; she could smell ripe berries. She nearly broke her neck looking around to discover that she had luckily fallen into a patch of berries.

 _Thank the gods for small favors,_ she thought as she quickly devoured the berries closest to her.

Once she exhausted the ones closed to her, she started crawling through the bushes, devouring the berries that were in her way. Her ears twitched as she heard noises, but she ignored the sounds, dismissing them as general sounds of the forest. She continued to eat, hoping that she would be able to fill her belly.

"Get outta our patch!" a growl of a voice commanded, reminding Rose of the voices of the daijinn that lived in the belly of the palace.

Claws were suddenly at Rose's throat. She swallowed down the berries that were in her mouth, straining her throat just enough for her to feel the edge of the claws. She stood up, in order to get a look at whomever it was threatening her life. She could not help wondering why so many people wanted her dead! She was not a bad person; nice, quiet, always out of the way, so why did so many people want to kill her?

Rose popped out of the bush like some kind of toy, almost surprising the four sets of eyes on her. There were four young male daijinn that had Rose surrounded; one of whom was the one holding his claws to her. He was a caramel-skinned, well-toned teen, not much older than she was, with spiked black and blonde hair. There were two huge black ears coming through his high hair and the arm that he held to her had familiar-looking ebony tattoos running up the length of the limb.

"The hell you doing in our patch?" the teenager in front and to the right of her demanded. He was tall. She had to crane her neck all the way to give him proper attention.

 _They actually make people this big?_ Rose thought while looking at the young male talking to her. He was muscular with a pecan complexion and straight red and yellow hair. His arm also had the same familiar tattoo, disappearing inside of his shirt sleeve.

"Well, you need answer or I tear ya throat," the teen to the left growled.

"I was hungry and didn't know these things were owned," Rose answered honestly.

"She talk funny," one of them behind her commented with a laugh.

Rose rolled her eyes, she was not the one that talked funny. They sounded like the daijinn in the palace, so she could easily followed their thick accents. By now, she figured it was because they were not speaking their native language, but then again, she could not explain why she did not sound the same way.

"You from city?" the one to the front right inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes," Rose simply answered.

"You got fam? You got pack?" he continued his interrogation.

"No," she answered with a seething growl. She had no one anymore. Everyone was gone, taken from her by the sword or walked away from her when she was in dire need. She dared to wonder if she was worth sticking around for; it would explain why everyone was gone.

The young men exchanged looks and the talkative one opened his mouth again. "You come. We take you if you work," he stated.

Rose did not put up an argument; she did not have anywhere else to go, after all. She nodded and they all walked off. She noted that they continued flanking her. She suspected that if she had declined the offer, it would have been her last act in her seemingly worthless life.

They walked in silence, coming to a cave. She followed them into the cave, ears twitching as she thought that she heard faint noises. She sniffed the air a little, smelling the burning of torches and oil. Underneath that, she could have sworn that she smelled people. The cave was deep and the further they went, the more that she could tell that there was more to it than just being a cavern in the middle of the woods.

It felt like they walked for almost an hour to Rose and she was ready to collapse when she saw where they were taking her. She finally could put images with the noises and the smells; there were people in the cave. Deep down in the dimly lit cave was a community of daijinn.

The daijinn were standing around socializing, playing around, chasing each other, gambling, and all other sorts of things that she knew regular people did in a community. She could feel eyes on her as she walked through the pathways and caverns, following the lead of her four silent guides.

A few torches lined the cave, almost as if they were street lights. Sun light came in through tiny cracks that also let in cool, fresh air. She was taken to a cove that was cut off from everything else with a thin blanket, which hid a space that was about the size of large room. There were candles lit everywhere and there was an elder daijinn male reclining on a pile of furs and feather pillows in the back of the room.

Rose stood quietly while her four guides went to speak with the older man in a language that she comprehended enough to follow, but had trouble speaking. It was a daijinn dialect that she had heard between some people in the kitchen and in the Cage. From the brief exchange, she gathered that the reclining male was in charge of what they called "the pack." Rose was welcome to stay as long as she understood her place and worked just like everyone else in the pack to help members of the community stay alive. Rose nodded her agreement without a second thought.

After all, she did not have anywhere else to go. She needed to regain her strength and live on. She still planned to one day send her enemy to where he belonged: the land of the dead.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: find out what happened to Ileana.


	19. 18: Condemned

18: Condemned

Ungodly screams cut through the peaceful palace air like a serrated blade. The cries were accompanied by loud banging noises, like wood was being split in half. The noise was ignored, as ordered, even though it made many people cringe and wince as they heard it. Ileana wailed as she pounded on her unmoving door until her fists were bleeding.

"Let me out! Let me out!" she begged as tears poured down her face like raging rivers. Her tears tore down her face and onto the floor, mixing with the blood coming from her battered fists. The liquids hit the carpeted floor silently, disappearing into the fibers.

The Princess had been locked in her room since the incident with Rose and her father's guest, Garrick. She did not know what was going on, but she knew that Rose was not with her. Rose was in the dungeon and she wanted to get to her best friend. She wanted to make sure her best friend was all right, well cared for, and going to be returned to her at some point in time.

"Let me out!" Ileana screamed as she started scratching at the wooden doors with her manicured nails. She only succeeded in tearing her fingernails apart and making her fingertips bleed. The physical pain never registered to her brain, only the pain of not knowing what was happening to her Rose.

After making no progress with the hollering and abusing the stern door, she ran around the room to check all of the secret passages in the room. _There has to be a way out_ , she chanted in her mind over and over again as she ran from exit to exit. They were all blocked off with wooden planks that she could not get through. She punched at them for a few minutes each, getting splinters in her battered hands.

"Rose!" Ileana yelled as she ran to balcony. She went to the guardrail and shrieked for her friend again. Birds in the distance took off, cawing as they flew away. "Rose!" she coughed, hacking as if she was about to spit up a lung.

She fell against the rail, exhausted and in serious agony. The rail shook from the force that she hit the metal with. She hugged herself tightly as if she was trying to keep her whole body from shattering. She cried and wailed until her body just could not produce tears or sounds anymore. Even without the display, her soul felt broken and bleeding, making her body pulse with pain.

She had lost track of time long ago, so she had no clue how long she sat there crying, how long she had been sealed in her room like some prisoner, or how long it had been since she had last seen Rose. She just wanted her friend back. She wanted back the only constant in her lonely existence, the only one that truly cared about her as a person, not as a Princess. She just wanted Rose back.

She did not hear her door open and close. She was unaware of the ice blue eyes watching her tired body struggle to breath after the labor that she put herself through. Miss Olga shook her head, not sure what to make of the sight before her. She did know that her insides trembled because of what she was looking at. For a moment, she did not trust herself to speak and had to put her hand to her mouth to keep from sobbing herself.

"Princess…" Miss Olga said softly. She was not sure how to follow up that one word for the first time in her life. She could tell that her charge was in pain, even though she did not understand Ileana's feelings. Still, she knew that she had to do something, but she was not sure what.

Ileana recognized the voice somewhat; the tone was very new. Despite the strange tone, she knew that the voice belonged to her primary caretaker. She immediately felt that somehow Miss Olga was someone that had the power to give Rose back to her. She whipped around so quickly that Miss Olga took a step back.

The adult woman gulped, not sure what to expect from her charge. Ileana ungracefully wiped her face with the back of her hand as she locked bold, watery eyes with Miss Olga. There was a desperate, almost wild look in Ileana's hazel eyes. Miss Olga's heart sped up and a sense of dread washed over her tense body.

For a moment, Miss Olga saw hope in that drowned hazel gaze, which set her at ease. But, that hope drained out of the Princess faster than the tears fleeing her eyes. Now, those brown pools only showed disappointment, sorrow, and despair, as she realized only one person could give her what she needed. Miss Olga felt her own heart constrict in a painful manner.

"Where is Rose? Where is my little iris?" Ileana demanded to know through all of her tears. Her voice was ragged and rough, sounding like it tore through her flesh as it escaped her throat. She looked so lost and wounded, on her knees, pleading with someone _—anyone_ —to explain to her what was going on and return her most precious friend.

Miss Olga straightened up a bit from reflex and recalled who she was. It did nothing for her aching heart. "The dog is in the dungeon," she reported dispassionately.

"Why! Why would he put Rose in such an awful place?" Ileana inquired, still prone on the floor and tears cascading down her face. Her throat was raw from crying, but she could still yell because she wanted to know what was happening with her dearest companion. Her eyes never left Miss Olga, even though they felt like they were scanning everywhere for some sign of her best friend.

"Your pet attacked his guest—" Miss Olga was not allowed to finish that sentence.

"I am sure she had an excellent reason! She has never attacked a single person before, so there had to be a reason for him to be the first! Did anyone bother to get her side of the story?" the Princess demanded to know, slamming her bloody palm onto the cool, marble floor of the balcony, leaving a blood smear in its wake.

Miss Olga rolled her eyes, but managed to bite back a scoff. Did anyone bother to ask the dog? The dog who had not spoken a word since she had been given to the Princess as a gift over ten years ago? Miss Olga was certain that the Princess' anger was disturbing her thinking; it was the only way to explain why the Princess would ask such a ridiculous question.

"She attacked a guest of the palace. She has to be punished, Princess," the governess stated plainly.

"When will she be returned to me?" Ileana begged to know. Her puffy, red-rimmed eyes were ready to just fall out of her skull from the fear that she was feeling. Something inside of her was telling her that she would never see Rose again, but she refused to believe that.

"I do not know," Miss Olga admitted. She silently considered that was probably the last that they would see of the dog, but part of her wanted to think that King Vladimir would show some mercy. Ileana seemed to think that she could not live without her dog, so maybe the King would return the pet at some point.

Ileana's eyes started darting all over the place. She could not comprehend the answer that she had just been given. Her mind begged, _Rose has to be returned to me, right_? _Rose is my best friend. Rose is my little iris. She has to be returned, right? Right?_

"Can I see her?" the Princess asked in a voice that was below a whisper. She was afraid of the answer because she knew what it was. She was very aware of the dreaded words that she would hear and those heavy words would rip her to pieces. Still, she needed to hear them because some part of her knew that she was going to survive the heartache and she was going to need an emotion after that. The emotion that she planned to cling to would be hatred.

"You cannot. You are to remain in your room," Miss Olga informed the teen, voice steady, even though she felt a heavy thump in her chest. Her entire torso was starting to hurt, like her chest was about to implode.

"I am a prisoner too," Ileana realized with a cloudy grimness in her eyes and tone.

"You are not a prisoner. It is just to make sure you do not do something silly and end up hurt. Your dog has obviously gone bad, Princess. We cannot have her attacking you—" the adult tried to explain, but she was cut off by a venomous glare, followed by a spirited defense.

"Rose would never hurt me! How dare you even think to impeach her honor? She is a fine young woman, better than those noble wretches you desire me to know! She deserves your respect, but you are too snobbish to offer even that! You make me sick and I hate you!" Ileana declared in a seething tone.

Miss Olga appeared as if she had just been clubbed over the head with a mace. The girl that she had taken care of all of the teen's life had the nerve and gall to shout hatred in her direction just because of a dog? She could not wrap her mind around it and she could not stop her insides from grinding against themselves because of the proclamation. She was silent for a few seconds, trying her best to recover from such powerful words and hoping that she did not vomit on the spot.

Miss Olga swallowed, soothing away from agonizing dryness in her throat. "You are to remain here and you will remain here, as those are you father's wishes. Your meals will come here as will your tutors. Your father will inform you when this will change," she stated matter-of-factly.

"He is a cruel man," Ileana hissed to the floor. Her father took everything that mattered to her and did not even seem to care. In her heart, she was fairly certain that she hated him now.

Miss Olga did not bother defending the King; she just wanted out of the Princess' poisonous presence. She left her charge there on the floor, trapped in her room, broken from despair, and bleeding from abusing her own hands. Ileana did not notice the woman leave.

"Will Father send Rose away like he did with Mother? Will he leave her down there in the dungeon and forbid me to see her as he has done with Viktor? Why would he do these horrible things to me? Why?" Ileana begged the air, which gave her no answers.

The Princess fell asleep on the cool floor of the balcony. She woke up in her bed; servants carried her there in the night. She found her hands cared for and bandaged, but she did not care much about that. She noticed breakfast on her nightstand, which she devoured, but did not taste. She only ate because she knew that she needed her strength. When she was done with the food, she went hunting for a way out of the room.

"I need to get to my little iris," Ileana said aloud as she inspected one of the secret passages in her room. She wondered if the block was as strong as it looked. She tested them all and found that they held, but she was not done yet. She _needed_ to get to Rose.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana's head snapped up as she heard her door click to signal it was opening. Her jaw tensed and she ground her teeth together as her father entered the room, waving off whatever servants were with him; his long cape sounded with even that simple movement of his arm. His hard eyes fell on her like the wrath of the gods. She tilted her head defiantly with her chin held high and a sneer tugging at her mouth, wanting him to know that he had not broken her yet. He had not won yet.

"What do you want?" Ileana asked in a sharp tone. If looks could kill, her father would have died ten times before making it into the room.

"She is dead, you know," Vladimir reported, sounding as if he was speaking on the weather thanks to his casual, careless tone. He had the nerve to look her dead in the eye as he spoke those words, though.

"She is not," Ileana replied strongly. She was not going to believe him. No, she refused. He was a liar, a cowardly, wicked deceiver!

"She is quite dead. I had her beheaded," Vladimir informed his daughter. His voice was cold and callous without the least bit of a compassion for her plight.

"NO!" Ileana howled and she launched herself at her father, screaming like a furious animal.

Vladimir did not even blink as his eldest child came at him. He caught her arm as she tried to hit him and he squeezed her wrist to the point of pain. She hissed, but continued on with her planned assault. She swung wildly with her other hand only for it to be captured and then her father twisted her arms until she was on her knees. She cried out in distress, but continued to glare at him with defiant eyes that dug out a snarl from his throat.

"Mind your place, girl! You are too much like your mother and even she would be disgusted with you. Now, you are my daughter and I am your King. You are to obey me," he growled. His eyes tried to drill into her, but she refused to kowtow to him. He frowned when he saw how insolent she still was.

"Give me back Rose!" Ileana ordered in a harsh tone, daring to sound like she was the one in charge.

"I told you, she is _dead_ ," he stated, emphasizing that last word to purposely hurt her. She flinched from his voice and felt like she might retch.

"Bastard!" Ileana shamelessly screamed. She wished to say more to him, but that was all she was able at the moment because of her own anguish.

"Such a filthy mouth, but what should I expect from a filthy girl?" Vladimir released one of her hands to free up his grip and he used it to grab onto her jaw.

He squeezed her cheeks, sending shots of agony ripping through her face. She believed that he might be able to break her jaw with his bare hands, but she still refused to yield to him. Her eyes refused all of his demands. He snarled at her again and put pressure on the wrist that he was holding. She hissed and swallowed down a cry as she feared that he might shatter her wrist. He could break all of her bones, she decided, but she would not cry out.

"What unholy things has this disgusting mouth done?" he pondered aloud, yanking her back and forth roughly by the jaw. "All of the servants…they do not wish to admit. They say she forces you and that is enough to have her beheaded."

Ileana's eyes remained rebellious and fiery, even as his words began to sink in. She could connect the dots and feel the weight of his words. She just would not allow him to see that he was burdening her with his comments.

"How can you look at me like that? As if I am wrong? Was she not the one that wronged you? Was she not the one that did unspeakable things to you?" he demanded to know, shaking her harshly by her face. His voice made it seem more like he was mocking her than questioning her. It did sound like he was trying to give her an out, she noted, as if he could not even bear to believe the truth. Or as if he did not want to be shamed by her actions, not that she cared.

"Rose would never hurt me," Ileana stated soundly; her words were an unbreakable truth.

A devilish spark was ignited in his eyes. "Then you admit that you have done unholy things willingly?" he demanded, holding her even tighter, causing her to wince. It felt like he was on the verge of shattering her jaw.

"What I do with Rose is none of your business…unless you are some sort of pervert," Ileana commented with a haughty smirk. The expression was removed by more pressure to her jaw and wrist.

"Do not think that I will not punish you severely just because you are my daughter. I should disown you—" he was cut off from finishing that threat.

"You would not dare. You would have to explain yourself and we both know you would never be able to tell anyone why. What do you know of anything anyway?" she inquired in a bitter tone. She spat the question from her mouth, questioning his emotional knowledge as she was certain that a block of ice felt more than her father did.

"You think you are so clever? You are but a child. You know nothing of the world or how to hide what you do. You know nothing of your body and how it works. Evidence of your sins stain your sheets and your clothing. The smell even lingers in the air, clinging to the room, damning you with every incident. Your servants, they are mine. They are loyal to me," he boasted.

She snorted, heated breath hitting him in the face. So, her servants had known about Rose in her bed, she silently fumed. They knew and they told her father. The thought made her jaw tense, ignoring the crushing pressure from her father's monster grip. They had betrayed her… _No_ , she corrected herself. They were her father's servants and they had served him well.

"So…you killed Rose because of that?" she inquired, swallowing around a lump that felt like a stone in her throat, pushing it down into her chest. If that was the case, then it was her fault, she thought with dread. She had gotten Rose killed by not stopping her.

"You should be happy. Now you will not have to worry about that beast assaulting you in your bed anymore. Or was that why she was your little iris?" he countered with a horribly arrogant smirk on his face, pulling her closer to him. Her ire was heightened by the fact that he used the nickname that she had given Rose.

She growled in his face; he felt it rumble against his hand. She went to kick him for mocking her, making fun of her best friend, and destroying the only true relationship that she had with another person on the planet. He chuckled and flung her away from him as if he was disregarding trash. Her back collided with her bed post, earning a pained cough followed by a soft moan.

"What do you want from me?" Ileana demanded to know, glaring at her father. The pain in her back was shifted to the back of her mind immediately. She did not understand why he did everything that he did to her.

"Nothing more than for you to blossom into a beautiful young woman, so I can marry you off to the first prince fool enough to accept your hand and offer me an alliance," Vladimir answered truthfully.

"You just want to be rid of me?" she demanded. He wanted her gone, just like her mother, she silently fumed.

"Is that not obvious? You look too much like her. You behave worse than she did. You are nothing more than an extension of your mother and your presence sickens me a thousand times more than hers did. All you are good for is a marriage alliance, just like she was. You are more worthless than any other woman I have ever met. Now, you are to stay in this room and if I find you out of it, things will get much worse," Vladimir promised his daughter in just about the coldest tone that she had ever heard, yet she did not shiver.

Ileana narrowed her gaze. "Did you really have her killed because…because of me…?" she asked, voice raw, breathing ragged.

"Her head rolled with tears in her eyes. She cried out like a kicked puppy as the axe hit her neck," Vladimir answered, his eyes drilling into his daughter's gaze. She held, though, not looking away.

"You monster," she snarled.

"No, that would be you. You let a dog, a female dog, touch you. I cannot even believe you are my blood anymore. Now, act like you have some decency and remain here or things will get much worse for you," he promised again and turned to leave, his cape swishing loudly as he moved.

She glared at his back as if trying to make her father burst into flames until he was out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, signally that she was alone, Ileana let out a wail that would have scared the gods. The scream came from the dark depths of her soul and she clutched her chest while falling to her knees.

Her body really wanted to cry, but she did not have any tears left. All she could do was make sobbing noises into the floor. She hit herself in the chest a few times before grabbing her head. She hit herself several times in the forehead, trying to force her brain to come up with some ideas to get to Rose. Nothing came to mind and she curled into a fetal position as her breathing became erratic. Suddenly, she shot up from her pathetic ball on the floor and grabbed her chair, seated so perfectly at her desk.

She gripped the chair just as tightly as her father had held her. She turned around wildly and swung the chair with all of her might, letting it go and flinging it into her bed. The chair hit the mattress. Both the bed and the chair were unharmed, not even chipped, leaving her angrier than ever before. She bellowed, like an enraged bull, and went to the chair. She grabbed it again and proceeded to beat it across her bed post.

The woods tore into each other, the chair and post splintering. She screamed with each hit until the post gave way. She turned her attention on another post, giving it the same treatment as its twin. When the bed posts were thoroughly destroyed, she turned her attention to her desk. She lashed out at her furniture until the chair finally gave way, fracturing and breaking in her hands. She then tossed it aside like the garbage it was.

"Rose…" Ileana whimpered, putting her face in her hand. She let out a few more tearless sobs and then was taken over by another impulse to grab a chair.

She ran to the balcony and picked up her chair from the table on the deck. She rushed back into the room and went to an empty space at her wall. She slid the panel back, revealing boards, which were blocking her exit from the room. She growled like a caged animal and then she began bashing the chair against the wall. The chair was solid, but so was the barrier. The chair won the battle, though.

Ileana dropped the chair and charged off into the dark of the corridor. She had no clue where she was going, but she had to get away from that room. She had to get away from her father. She had to get away from her life.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana runs off and gets into trouble...but, the trouble pays off.


	20. 19: Darkness all around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: "italics" indicates another language is being spoken.

19: Darkness all around

Ileana found that navigating the hidden tunnels on her own was quite a difficult task thanks to the lack of light. Usually, she would follow, allowing Rose to lead since she could see more and use her keen sense of smell. Because of that, her heart beat with nervousness and her nerves twitched from anxiety, worried that she might end up lost.

But, with a hand on the wall and a sharp mind, she was able to make her way through with her mental map. After a while, she was convinced that she was lost because the tunnel seemed much longer than she remembered. Her heart beat started to speed up and anxiety built in her tense body, thinking that her father would find her if she was lost. And then she saw the promise of sunlight shining in the distance. She had been surprised that the thought of being lost in the winding, dark tunnels did not frighten her. It was the thought of her father getting to her that bothered her. Despite not being scared of being lost for all eternity, she breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached outside. Warm air greeted her with a gentle caress, making her think of Rose and feeling her with desire to see her best friend again.

"Maybe I'm not ready to die yet," the Princess muttered to herself as she squinted in the light.

As her eyes adjusted to being in the light again, she realized that she was in the forest that surrounded the city. From the palace, she had been able to see it and it seemed like the trees went on forever. The Princess hoped that was not the case now since she did not want to get lost in the woods. She wanted to get away from the city, away from her father, away from everything that she ever known, but she did not want to die in a never-ending wilderness. She started walking as fast as she could to get away, knowing that her father was going to send people after her.

 _He knows I know the tunnels, so undoubtedly guards will be coming from that tunnel soon enough,_ the Princess told herself.

Ileana was not sure where she was going, or if she even had a destination. She just knew that she wanted to get away, far, far away. The sun started to set as she pushed through the bushes and trees, tearing her clothing as she trudged along, and hurting her feet on the slightly rocky dirt. She could hear some scurrying about her, but she tried her best to ignore it, telling herself that it was probably just some harmless woodland creature. Even if it was not that, she was going to continue forward.

 _It would be better to be eaten by bears than to go back to my father,_ Ileana decided as the sky grew darker and the woods seemed to become more alive.

She pressed forward, starting to take note of what looked like a pair of glowing orbs in the distance. She stood perfectly still and did her best to control her breathing, not wanting to draw attention to herself, certain that the eyes belonged to some animal. Her heart beat quickly in her chest as she squinted, trying to get a better look at the creature through the bushes and darkness. The most she could see was the ethereal glow of the eyes. Something about them seemed so very familiar. Ileana released a sudden gasp as it came to her.

"Rose…" Ileana whispered. Her heart thumped hard, recalling her best friend's eyes, floating through the dark of the bedroom.

She shook the memory away, knowing that she needed to stay focused. Her father had informed her that Rose was dead, so there was no reason to think about her now. She needed to worry about keeping herself alive, even though she did not see much point in that since Rose was gone. She kept her senses sharp, still focusing on the glowing orbs not too far from her. And then, she noticed another pair on the opposite side. She frowned, having the feeling that she was being stalked. The only thing she could do was keep moving.

Ileana tried to walk normally, wanting to draw as little attention to herself and make it seem like she was not afraid. But, her nerves go the best of her, and she broke into a full-out run. She tried running as fast as she could, but in the darkness of the forest, it was not the wisest idea that she had ever had. Tripping over an unseen rock sent her flying face first into a thorn bush. She hissed in pain as her ankle twisted and the long thorns scratched up her body and face. As she attempted to push herself out of the patch of points, she ended up getting stabbed in the hands by the thorns. Crying out in agony, she continued to try to move as her blood trickled out onto the shrub.

"Easy catch, eh?" she heard a voice behind her ask. There was only a grunt for an answer.

Ileana then felt herself being pulled out of the thicket. She winced as thorns continued to slice her through her tattered clothing. Her "rescuers" were not being very gentle with her. She was ripped out of the thorns and flung to the ground, head banging against another troublesome rock. _If only rocks had lives,_ she thought, because she certainly wished that she could kill the blasted piece of earth. She bit back a string of curses that she learned on the city streets when she sneaked out with Rose while trying to shake away the fuzzy feeling trying to overwhelm her brain. The movement only added to the throb that was growing in between her ears, going out from the new bruise on her skull.

"Human, what you do here?" a gruff voice demanded to know while Ileana felt something sharp press against her throat. It was too dark for her to see that there was a clawed hand at her neck.

The Princess took a moment, trying to gather herself and figure out what question had just been asked of her. She wondered how severe her head injury might be since she could not understand him at first. For a few seconds, she was not too sure that the question was being asked in her own language. She recognized the accent, noting it sounded like the daijinn kept away in the pits of the palace. It was gruff, scratchy, forcing out words like expelling phlegm from the lungs.

"I am traveling, obviously," Ileana answered, sitting up and feeling pains shoot from all parts of her body. She winced from the agony. The response earned a growl and she became acutely aware of the danger that she was in as talons now bit into her soft skin.

"Smartass," grunted the person closest to her.

"I would thank you kindly to watch your language and remove your knives," Ileana stated in a calm, commanding manner. She was answered with a deep, dark laugh.

"Not knives, idiot. Now, we do questions here. What hell you here?"

Ileana was not sure how to respond to that question because she was not sure what he was really asking. She felt her skin being lightly pierced again and she could tell that he was right; those were not knives at her neck. It felt like thick, jagged pins were jabbing her in the throat.

"You answer now!" he bellowed.

"Be calm, Kwen," the other voice ordered.

Ileana was lost as the pair started speaking to each other in a language that she had never heard before. In fact, she was not so sure it was a language as it sounded like a string of grunts, growls, and groans. She tried her best to decipher the conversation, but there was just no way for her to do so. Getting wrapped up in that task, she did not notice the other person move closer to her. The next thing she knew, she was being yanked to her feet and from the way that it was happening, she was pretty sure that the person helping her up was not the person that pulled her out of the bush. This person was not as rough with her.

"You come," the person commanded, but his voice was not as gruff as the one that had been threatening her.

"Where are you taking me?" Ileana demanded to know.

"Someone speak better," he tried to explain. He figured out that she really could not understand them, so he needed someone to help.

Ileana would have protested, but a push to her back told her that she was not able to object. She was going with them whether she liked it or not. Ileana was not able to see in the dark well, but she could see the glowing eyes of her…captors? She was not sure what to consider them, although the one behind her was quite the pushy fellow, she noted.

Her captors strolled the forest with ease, familiarity and knowledge guiding them. It helped that they could see in the dark much more clearly than Ileana, who was not having an easy go with the track. Her ankle was throbbing, which intensified whenever she stumbled onto some uneven terrain; there was no shortage of rocks or small holes in the forest, she was certain of that. She was also pretty sure that she had hit every rock, root, stump, and hole possible while walking.

Ileana tried to make out her surroundings, but everything looked the same to her. The pain in her ankle and her head were not helping, making most of her concentration focus on the fact that it was getting worse. Adding to the agony in her body, her captors found it necessary to cut through some brush on their journey and she ended up getting cut by some low branches. She tried to slow down, but was pushed from behind to keep moving, which caused her ankle more problems. She winced in pain and bit the inside of her cheek to keep a cry at bay. She tasted the by-now familiar copper tang of blood in her mouth as she kept moving. She nearly fell a dozen times before she was grabbed roughly by the neck from behind.

"Hey!" Ileana barked.

"Wait," the one behind her, Kwen, commanded.

Ileana growled, but she did stop walking. She was thankful for the break because her ankle felt like it was pulsing to the point of explosion. She was pretty sure that it would be more humane to chop her foot off than to force her to continue walking on her injured ankle. Her head was faring better, but there was still a dull pang thumping through her skull.

Hearing the pair speaking to each other again took her mind off of her injuries. They were talking in whispered voices and she had to strain her ears to hear. From what she could tell, they were once again talking in a language that she could not follow. She heard footsteps and noticed the silhouette of a large body moving away from her. The silhouette was topped by two glowing orbs that she guessed were eyes. She wondered, had she just been left alone with the man that seemed to want to tear her throat out? She swallowed down a gulp and forced herself to remain calm.

"No worry. He back soon," Kwen stated, as if sensing her distress and wanting to comfort her in some small way. Of course, that struck her as odd and she did not reply. He was not in the mood for her freaking out because then he would have to hurt her and he was certain that he would get an earful when his partner returned if he did.

They were alone together for a few minutes that felt like an eternity. Ileana considered running, but she knew that she would not make it far on her ankle and she was aware that Kwen knew the area quite well. It would be best for her to just wait and she hoped that she would find out what was going on.

"They come," Kwen reported in a grunt.

Ileana could see two pair of small glowing dots coming toward them, getting close enough for her to make out two silhouettes. She guessed that one of the shadows was the companion that left them and he had someone new with him. Ileana took a deep breath to make sure her heart relaxed and her body did not betray her anxiety. She was strong and she would stand as such.

As the new pair approached, Ileana could hear them speaking. She could tell the gruff voice of the male who left, but the new voice sounded quite different. The new voice was low, smooth, and did not match the language that the voice was carrying. And then, everything seemed to stand still.

"Ey! You talk?" Kwen called, not speaking to the Princess, but to his two companions.

"Talk," the gruff voice ordered, speaking to the newcomer next to him.

Ileana did not hear anything, but she suddenly felt herself in a tight embrace. The unexpected hug was so familiar. Her brain told her it was impossible, but her heart knew who stood before her. She was being hugged by a ghost. She did not care. She wrapped her sore, bleeding arms around the phantom and wept into warm hair that smelled like honey and grass.

"I am so happy that you are not dead, my beautiful Rose," Ileana whispered into the pointed ear.

"What're you doing out here?" Rose asked in a quiet whisper while clutching onto her friend, fearing that Ileana would disappear if she did not.

"I ran away," the Princess simply answered.

"And where were you going?" the smaller teen inquired, pulling Ileana away, so that they could look into each other's eyes. She wanted Ileana to see in her gaze that she was calling the Princess insane, but it was useless in such darkness.

"I am not sure. To my mother, maybe?" Ileana replied in an uncertain tone. She had not thought about it. She just knew that she needed to get away and now she was quite happy that she did.

Rose sighed and shook her head; her poor, silly, lovely impulsive friend. For once, she could finally understand why Fry yelled at her so much. She could not believe that Ileana had left the safety of the palace to run away to who-knew-where with nothing but the clothing on her back.

"You don't even know what country your mother lives in," Rose pointed out in a low tone. She felt almost ashamed to say it, but she felt like it needed to be said.

"I know…" Ileana sniffled a bit. She really had no clue about anything outside of the city walls. She did not know where she would go or how she would get there. She did not have any food or money. She did not have anything to protect herself, except for her mouth. But, at least she had Rose back, and that was enough to bring a tearful smile to her face. Having Rose meant more to her than anything else.

Rose sighed and took Ileana into a tight hug again. "I'm glad you're all right," the smaller teen commented, reveling in the feel of her dear friend.

A loud grunt got the girls to pull away from each other. Rose looked at Kwen, who was smirking at her. She blushed and looked down at the dark dirt for a long moment. Kwen turned his attention to the other male and started speaking to him in their language.

" _Yu, I think she knows this wandering human_ ," Kwen commented with a frown.

" _Gee, you think?_ " the other male, Yu, remarked sarcastically. He sighed, thinking about how dense Kwen could be sometimes.

" _I am standing right here_ ," Rose reminded them, even though she knew it did not matter to them. Ileana looked at her with a surprised expression that she replied to with a shrug.

" _Well, since you know her so well, you can take responsibility for her while we sort things out_ ," Yu stated in a tone that Rose already knew not to argue with.

Rose nodded and turned her attention to her best friend. "Come on. We'll take care of you and then we can figure something out," she informed the Princess while putting a protective arm around the taller girl.

Ileana nodded and allowed Rose to lead her away. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask, but she promised herself that she would ask them later. Right now, she was tired, sore, hurting, and wanted very much just to bask in Rose's secure presence.

They walked into a cave that Ileana was very vaguely able to make out. As they walked deeper, she was able to see better because of a few scattered torches. From that light, she could make out some of the features of two young men ahead of her and Rose. The first thing that caught her eye were the ears sticking out the top of their heads, letting her know that they were Rose's kind, which explained why their eyes glowed in the dark, she thought.

" _You take her to the groove while Kwen and I go report in_ ," Yu told Rose, calling the order over his shoulder. He did not look back, knowing that silence meant that Rose was nodding.

Rose made sure to keep a good grip on Ileana as she led her through the dimly lit cavern. She ignored the looks coming from the masses while Ileana barely noticed any stares because of the low light. She was very aware of Rose's body against hers, guiding her, making sure to catch her immediately if she tripped over jutting rocks.

"This is where I stay with Kwen and Yu," Rose explained as she left Ileana's side for a moment to light several candles.

Ileana was able to see that the place was little more than a hole in the cave wall. There were folded blankets on the back wall and a few clay bowls stacked in the corner. That was it as far as possessions went. Ileana's brow furrowed from how sparse the place was.

"Here, sit here," Rose instructed her while unfolding a thick blanket. Ileana just stared at her and the smaller female thought that maybe something was wrong with the cover. "It's okay. It's mine and it's clean," she tried to assure her friend.

Ileana nodded, even though she was not worried about those things. She sat down, discomfort shooting through her from sitting on the cold ground. She forgot all about that as she felt Rose's hand on her face. Rose was inspecting the various scratches marring her friend's smooth skin.

"I'm going to go get ointment to treat these. You'll be safe here. Nobody would dare come in here," Rose explained vaguely. She thought it would be good enough and did not stick around long enough to find out if her thoughts were wrong.

Ileana wanted to argue, but she was so tired. Everything that happened so far, the track in the woods, the fright of almost being taken prisoner, and the shock of finding Rose alive was more than enough to wear her out. She laid down on the puffy blanket, smelling Rose all over it. She inhaled the soothing aroma that assured her Rose was alive and well. But, it was only a temporary fix, she knew. She desired nothing more than to hold her dear friend, feel her, feel that Rose was still alive. She hoped that Rose hurried back.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose ran across the wide, flat floor of the cave dwelling and climbed up the wall like a little spider, even though there was a makeshift ladder not too far away. She ducked into a cove carved out in the cave wall. She whistled and waited for a while before a lithe body came scurrying out of the back of the apartment-like structure like a squirrel leaving its den. In a flash, a tall, mocha-skinned young woman was standing before her, grinning like mad.

" _What's up, Human?_ " the young woman asked, rubbing the top of Rose's head quite roughly.

" _Don't do that, Mei_ ," Rose hissed, knocking the hand away. Her actions earned her a delightfully playful grin from the taller female.

" _I can't help it! You're so cute! I mean, you're just so little!_ _So tiny and cute!_ " the young woman, Mei, declared, still smiling brightly. She ran a hand through her chocolate locks, which was striped with golden blonde streaks, but there was such a balance that it was hard to tell which color were the stripes and which color was the dominate one. Her ears were small, barely peeking out of her long hair. A fluffy, chocolate tail trailed behind her before wrapping around her front end.

Rose frowned a little. She had known from working in the kitchen in the palace that she was short for a daijinn and that was only reinforced since she had come to stay with the cave pack. So far, Mei was the only one that had taken her height as something to be called "adorable," at least as far as Rose knew anyway. Everyone else equated her size with weakness and she had done nothing to disprove the theory.

" _I need some balm or something for scratches_ ," Rose stated, cutting right to business to avoid getting petted again.

" _And what will you give me in return?_ " Mei asked, smirk cutting through the left side of her face and her eyes practically alight with mischief.

Rose sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. " _I'll go pick berries for you for the next few days_ ," she answered.

" _And?_ " Mei pressed.

" _And catch you some rabbits with the berries_ ," Rose added. She hoped that was enough.

" _You got yourself a deal, Human_ ," Mei replied with another smile. " _But, what do you need it for?_ "

Rose did not explain herself and just waited until Mei gave her what she needed. She took the balm, which was secure in a clay cup with a thin cloth covering the top. She then tried to run back to her friend, only to hear someone calling for her; the elderly voice called out the word "human" to get her attention. She sighed and went to see what new chore she had to do. She was sent to fetch water, meaning that she had to leave the community section of the cave and climb down into the belly of the beast deep within the cavern.

"This is to be my life?" Rose asked the air as she scaled the dangerously smooth walls that led to the spring. She had a bucket tied to her hip for the water.

She fetched the water as quickly as she could and delivered it. She was on her way after that, hoping she could make it the thirty feet to her friend before someone else in the pack suddenly wanted something from her. Once again, she wondered if this was going to be her life. _Was I made to be a servant? Am I inferior to the rest of the world? Do I deserve this?_

Shaking her head free of those burdening thoughts, she set about her tasks. She did her best to work quickly, feeling a need to get back to her best friend. She made it back to see that Ileana was sitting up, tense and alert at the back wall.

"It's okay. I'm finally back," Rose said in a soothing tone as she sat down next to her friend.

"Where did you go?" Ileana begged to know, leaning onto her friend. Ileana's heart finally stopped pounding painfully in her chest when she came into contact with her friend. "You said you would be right back. You have been gone at least thirty minutes," she pointed out. For a while there, she feared that she had only imagined Rose being there and that she was probably a prisoner of the two men that pulled her out of the woods. At that thought, she began to contemplate escape before those men returned.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I had to do a few chores to get you what you needed," Rose replied, arm going around the Princess automatically, pressing Ileana into her solid form. Both of their bodies relaxed, especially as Rose caressed Ileana's shoulder.

"Do a few chores? Are you a servant here?" Ileana inquired in a puzzled tone.

"Not really. It just that being the new kid around here…" the smaller girl trailed off because she doubted any of it would make sense if she did not lay the foundation of why she had to do chores and favors and things like that. "Okay, let me see if I can explain this to you. Daijinn society can be really structured, especially when it comes to individuals. There are a lot of different ways to move up and down the ladder, but right now, I'm at the very bottom because I'm the new member of this pack…as these guys call it," she tried to explain as best she could. However from the bewildered look on her friend's face, she was not sure if she was getting through.

"And?" the Princess asked because she was not following. Her face scrunched up, forehead wrinkled and eyebrows curled up.

"In order to stay with this group, I have to do whatever is asked of me by those higher than I am. So, whenever I hear someone holler 'human' I have to go running and answer the call, really quick," Rose answered with a sigh, casting her eyes downward for a moment while she swallowed down deep sorrow.

"Human?" Ileana echoed, sounding more confused by the second.

"That's what they call me. They say I talk like a human because I speak your language so well and I have an accent when I speak their language," Rose replied with a slight shrug. She was destined to be the odd-man out, she thought.

Ileana nodded, trying to put it all together, but it was not coming together as quickly as she would have liked. She was tired and yawning within seconds. Rose leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Go to sleep. I'll tend to your scratches," Rose said.

Ileana was so exhausted that she could only nod. She rested on the blanket, feeling the hard floor through the cover, while Rose applied ointment to her scarred face, arms, and hands. When she was done with her task, Rose curled up next to Ileana and breathed in the familiar scent. For the first time in weeks, she felt at ease and right.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana gets to see what Rose's life is like now.


	21. 20: Reunited

20: Reunited

Rose woke up early, feeling the weight of Ileana's taller body on top of her. With a small smile on her face, she inhaled the scent that she knew would always comfort her, no matter what. She noted that her arms were wrapped around Ileana, her hands resting on the Princess' back, pressing Ileana's taller form against her, and decided that she liked their positions. She sighed, wishing that she could stay just as she was forever and know some peace.

"I'll know peace when I die," Rose muttered to herself.

She managed to ease Ileana off of her, earning a few whimpers of protest from the Princess. She briefly wondered if those noises meant that Ileana enjoyed the position as much as she did. She made sure that Ileana was still asleep before she stood up. She glanced over at her bunk-mates, Kwen and Yu. They were looking directly at her.

" _Where are you going?_ " Yu inquired, holding back a yawn. He sounded curious as he watched her stretch her arms.

" _I have to pick berries for Mei and catch a rabbit for her_ ," Rose explained blandly.

" _Don't wander too far_ ," Yu replied, waving her off.

" _Not like she would when we've got her little squeeze toy here_ ," Kwen remarked and those words got him a very distinct growl from Rose. He was not moved by the noise and stared at her with challenging green eyes.

" _Kwen, show some restraint_ ," Yu pled with his large companion, who was sitting directly across from him. He had a feeling that this was the one topic that "Human" would not stay passive about and he had little desire to see Kwen kill the small daijinn when she decided that she had enough of his mouth.

" _Why? Human knows she's at the bottom of the barrel and she needs to recognize that before we dump her tiny body back in that berry patch we found her in. So, Human, watch who you're growling at_ ," Kwen commanded with one of his patented grunts to punctuate his order.

Rose sighed, her shoulders slumped a little with the exhale. Kwen was at least twice the size of her and probably weighed more than a house. If he wanted to, she was pretty sure that he could eat her for lunch and still have room for more, so right now would not be the time to get him upset with her. Still, she frowned in his direction, glaring daggers at him and hoping that she was somehow sending him the message to back off. Kwen surprised her by remaining silent.

" _I'll be back_ ," Rose said after a few seconds of tense silence. She was determined to come back as soon as possible, so Ileana did not wake up alone or with the two male daijinn. She knew it would not take much to provoke Ileana's temper and it would take even less to push Kwen to kill the Princess.

" _Don't take too long or you know we have to come looking for you_ ," Yu reminded her. She nodded.

" _Catch me some breakfast while you're out there doing favors for Mei_ ," Kwen commanded, pointing a threatening finger at her.

Rose turned and left before Kwen could add anything to his order. Yu eyed his cohort with a glare in his orange eyes. Kwen ignored it, running a nonchalant hand through his onyx and gold hair. He then flopped back down onto his bedding, sending feathers flying out of his downed blanket. Yu snorted at the action.

" _Stop being such a bleeding heart, Yu. Human is a runt and runts are only good for serving higher ranks_ ," Kwen stated in a flippant tone.

" _You sound just like the humans. She's only been here a couple of weeks and everyone's used her in some way with the threat that we're all going to kill her if she doesn't bow down and do what we say. Whatever situation she ran away from in the city, I doubt we're making things better for her_ ," Yu replied in a low voice.

For all of his reprimanding, Yu was guilty of the offense himself. But, he never threatened "Human" to get her to do anything. He made requests, but he knew in his heart that he tried to silently intimidate her with his size to make sure the task was handled promptly. He noted days ago how efficient she was, so he guessed that she was a slave back when she was in the city. Her lot in life had not improved much, he thought, except for the fact that the pack could not pull her reins and she was able to move up in the society. Still, it gnawed at him a little to treat her as a slave if she had been on when she was with the humans; it made him feel like he was acting like a human. The thought made him shudder with disgust. It did not seem like many shared his feelings.

" _Yu, I like you and I respect your ability to think on your feet and all this stupid damn compassion you have, but if you ever in your fucking life compare me to a human again, I will kill you_ ," Kwen promised in a stern tone and frightfully hard expression on his face.

Yu did not respond, knowing that his friend meant those words, so there would be no more discussion. Kwen fell back to sleep while Yu stared at Ileana. He knew that humans had a different sleep cycle than daijinn, so he wondered if she was going to wake up before he and Kwen were truly ready to rise. He would have bet against that happening while she was curled up with "Human," but now that she was lying on a thin mattress on top of hard rock and alone, he would not be surprised if she did wake up.

" _That would be all I need right now. The human friend of Human gets away and manages to get back to the city to tell every damn human about us. Sun in the sky, I do not need this right now_ ," Yu sighed. He was not able to go back to sleep until Rose returned. As soon as he noticed her presence, he was off to dreamland.

Rose did not look in Yu's direction. She went over to Kwen, putting the rabbit down by his head. She was about to return to Ileana when Kwen grabbed her by the throat. Rose gagged and was about to claw at his thick arm, but Kwen threw her against the wall. She coughed on impact, hitting her head on a flat rock.

" _You think I'm going to eat that raw? Go fix it!_ " Kwen commanded with a hard glare in his eyes.

The sudden noise woke Yu as he was drifting to a deeper sleep. He turned to look at his roommates in time to see Rose snarled at Kwen. Her body itching to launch at Kwen and tear into his massive chest with her claws, but she did not. There were just too many things that could go wrong with that decision, mostly that Ileana could end up hurt. So, instead of lashing out, she relaxed her body until he released her. She then grabbed the rabbit and stalked out of the cavern to do his bidding. Kwen had the nerve to look smug as he watched her leave.

" _And you're going to tell me that's not how a human would act? You might as well pull her reins while you're at it_ ," Yu said, not even bothering to look at Kwen. He was pretty sure that he had never felt so disgusted with his friend before, never witnessing what a true brute Kwen could be.

" _Shut up_ ," Kwen grunted. _Not like I hurt the kid_. _She didn't even make groan, so she was fine_ , he mentally grumbled. A little piece of him knew that he had gone overboard, but he was still upset over Yu comparing him to a human. Unfortunately, he could not really take that out on Yu, so the runt was going to have to bear with it.

Yu sighed, keeping his eyes on Ileana rather than paying anymore attention to his friend. He swallowed down the urge to throw up and calmed his breathing to keep a frown from marring his smooth features. He continued waiting for "Human" to return, which she did expeditiously.

Rose resisted the urge to fling the now skinned and roasted rabbit at Kwen and handed it over with the most disgruntled expression that she could muster. He took it without a word of thanks. She then put a bowl of fruit down next to Yu, catching him by surprise if his wide eyes meant anything. She did not say anything to him and went to sit with Ileana, who was still asleep, which Rose was very thankful for.

" _This was thoughtful of you, Human. Thank you_ ," Yu said politely with a matching smile on his face.

" _Don't thank me. Mei told me to bring it to you_ ," Rose answered bluntly, dipping into the other bowl of fruit that she was holding.

" _Thanks all the same_ ," Yu insisted, desperately needing to show some gratitude to her after everything that happened.

Rose was not listening anymore. She turned her attention completely to Ileana, brushing wayward strands of hair out of the sleeping Princess' face. The sun was up outside and streams of light broke through the cracks of the cave wall, so now Rose had more light to clearly make out the marks on her friend's face. She made a mental note to inquire how Ileana received such scratches, but for now, she was just happy to watch her friend sleep.

" _Runt, go make yourself useful and get some milk_ ," Kwen commanded out of the blue.

Rose tensed and allowed a growl to rumble deep in her chest. _What an insensitive bastard_ , her mind screamed. He saw that she was sitting there trying to look after her obviously injured friend and he was still ordering her around just because she was the new grunt. Her fingers itched to release her claws and her right arm tingled, building up to a familiar burn. She did not use her natural weapons, only glaring at Kwen for his incredible rudeness.

" _Leave her be, Kwen. You see she's trying to take care of someone and you're just being an ass_ ," Yu huffed. He knew that his friend was inconsiderate much of the time, but ever since "Human" showed up, Kwen was starting to upset him with his overbearing behavior.

" _Hey, she's the runt. She's got to learn to deal with this_ ," Kwen argued.

" _Just because you used to be the runt when you were a pup doesn't mean you should take it out on her!_ " Yu growled, showing off some rather sharp canine teeth.

" _Hey!_ " Kwen roared.

The noise startled Ileana and she shot up from the rocky bed. Rose snarled in Kwen's direction, but turned to Ileana. She held the startled Princess in a comforting embrace and Ileana calmed down almost immediately when pressed against her. Ileana cuddled closer to her as she caught sight of the two males in the cave with them.

"It's okay. These are my friends. You met them last night, remember?" Rose whispered to the disoriented teen.

"Oh, right…" Ileana muttered, blinking hard to clear her foggy mind.

"Here's some food for you." Rose reached over and grabbed her fruit bowl. She held up for Ileana.

"Thank you," the chocolate-skinned teen replied and she accepted the diced fruits, glad to see that it was a very deep bowl. "I cannot even remember the last time I have eaten…" she admitted in a low voice. It felt like her stomach had decided to eat itself and had caved in while doing it. She was shocked that she actually did not attempt to devour the whole bowl in one bite.

"Well, you should eat as much as you can to get your strength up. I'll go get you some water," Rose offered and she was about to get up, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She looked at her friend, whose eyes pled for her to stay. She sighed and remained right where she was.

Yu cleared his throat, catching Rose's attention. She looked up at the calm male as he sat up on his bedding. He ran a hand through his short hair and offered her a half-smirk.

" _How about Kwen and I get out of your hair for a while? You can catch up with your friend_ ," Yu suggested. He smiled when he saw "Human's" eyes light up from that proposal, even though she did not verbally respond.

" _What?_ " Kwen huffed. He puffed out his chest, ready to argue and intimidate with his size, but his friend would have none of that.

" _Stop being a jackass for two damn seconds and just let the runt have some time alone_ ," Yu growled.

Ileana could not understand the conversation, but she could feel the tension and hear the heat of the discussion. She moved closer to Rose, who embraced the Princess tighter, silently assuring her that everything was all right. With safe arms around her, Ileana was able to continue eating. She watched as the two males left the den, Yu practically dragging Kwen out of the place.

" _If they get away, you're taking the blame for this_ ," Kwen said to Yu, who did not respond and just continued to pull his giant friend out of the den.

"Where are they going?" Ileana asked Rose curiously.

"Who knows. They'll probably go hunt for some food or raid a farm or something," Rose answered with a shrug. She really did not know where they were going and did not care. Her one concern was the person pressed against her.

"Raid a farm?" Ileana echoed with a confused expression painting her features.

"There are farms a few miles from the forest and from what I can tell, they raid the farms every now and then, stealing livestock or eggs or milk or things like that. There's a lot of mouths to feed around here and it's pretty impossible to get everything you need to survive in a cave," Rose explained with another shrug.

"There are," Ileana absently corrected her friend.

Rose grinned, almost certain that she looked like an idiot. She did not realize it until just now, but she missed being corrected. She was not sure the last time it happened, but it felt like an eternity. Hearing it now helped give her something familiar to hold onto and assisted in keeping what little sanity and peace-of-mind she had left.

"I should get you some water," Rose said as she glanced down to see that Ileana had almost finished off the bowl of fruit.

"No. I am not thirsty yet, so it is fine," Ileana lied, not wanting Rose to go. She was not sure how long they had been separated because to her all time had run together in her cell of a bedroom. Day and night mixed together as her emotions had free reign over her mind and her sanity tried its best to abandon her because nothing made sense once Rose had been taken from her.

"You will be thirsty soon, though. It's best I get it before Kwen comes back and starts barking orders at me. I might not be able to get to if that happens," the smaller teen explained.

Ileana sighed. "Might I come with you then?"

"It's not safe. The water is pretty much down an abyss and outside is a little weird. You'll be safe in here. No one would come in here without being invited. I know it might be hard to believe since I'm a nobody around here, but Kwen and Yu are pretty high up in the pack, so nobody would trespass in their place," Rose informed her friend, hoping that she understood.

The Princess wished to protest, but she could see that Rose was not going to bend on the matter. She did not object as Rose got up to leave. Rose rushed off, wanting to get her companion the water she knew Ileana needed while she had the time.

With the time alone, Rose realized that she had million questions that she would like answered. In the back of her mind, she also recalled the immeasurable agony that she felt from being abandoned by her best friend, being left alone in that hot cell and almost dying alone and uncared for. She remembered feeling that Ileana always found a way to get to places her father did not want her, yet she never made it to Rose's cell. Rose desired to know why she was not worth it like so many other things were. _Why didn't she care?_ She then shook that thought away. She knew that such things needed to be dealt with, but she did not think that now was the time.

Right now, she wanted Ileana to get her strength back and heal as best she could. Besides, she was overjoyed to see her best friend again, despite the feelings of abandonment. She wanted to be with Ileana and she wanted to protect her friend, especially from some of the more pushy members of the pack. Everything else could wait since it was not like someone else would care for her friend.

When Rose returned, she saw that Ileana was not alone. Mei was sitting with the Princess. Putting the water down by the entrance, Rose immediately went to sit right next to Ileana and put an arm around the Princess. Rose directed her attention right at Mei, who smiled and reached over to pet Rose. Rose snorted and pulled away, which only got a bigger smile out of Mei. Ileana glared at Mei, though the expression was rather forced because she was not up to her usual strength.

" _You know, eventually Alpha will want to talk to you about her_ ," Mei said to Rose while nodding toward Ileana.

" _Why? She's just a lost human_ ," Rose pointed out.

" _Because she can't stay with us forever, even if you're attached to her. She is a human, after all. No pack in the world would keep her around, figuring it would only be a matter of time before she betrayed us. Humans can't be trusted, I know you know that. So, you might as well figure out what you want to tell him when he finally does summon you and then you might at least be able to keep him from killing her as soon as he sees her_ ," Mei stated calmly.

Rose frowned, knowing that Mei was speaking the truth. She hugged Ileana closer to her, needing to feel the comfort only Ileana's presence offered. She sneaked an inhale of the Princess' scent to help soothe her nerves also. She needed time to think of what she would say to Alpha, the pack leader. She needed to protect Ileana and figured that it might be better for her to get her friend out of the cave altogether. After all, none of the pack thought highly of humans, which was the main reason that Ileana would not be allowed to stay. There was a very high chance that Alpha would try to kill Ileana, or some other pack member might try it; the thought almost made her throw up. She wondered for a brief moment if Yu would help her since he was pretty nice, but she was well aware that he disliked humans with as much a passion as all of the other daijinn in the cave. No one would help her save her only friend. She had to do it herself.

"What did she just say?" Ileana asked curiously, not noticing the change in her cohort's demeanor.

"Nothing important. Just teasing me as most people around here do," Rose answered, not wanting to worry her injured companion at the moment. After all, things might not end upas bad as she thought. _Yeah, right! When do things ever go right when I'm involved?_

Ileana nodded and things were silent for a moment. "I did not know you spoke other languages," she murmured.

Rose shrugged. "In the kitchen, it was the preferred form of talking," she replied. She had to learn the language or get scolded and hit by the kitchen staff. Pain was quite the motivator.

Ileana nodded to show that she understood. Rose eased away Ileana for a very brief moment, not even giving the Princess time to protest. The smaller teen fetched a bowl and filled it with water from the bucket. She handed the water to her friend and Ileana downed it quickly. Rose made sure to keep close to Ileana again and then Rose glanced nervously at Mei. She could not help wondering when Mei would leave them be. Mei laughed as if she could read the short teen's mind.

" _You can relax, Human. I'm not going to touch your little human…who is actually quite bigger than you_ ," Mei remarked with a giggle. "Human" was just so adorably small, she thought.

Mei's words did little to ease away Rose's anxiety. She continued watching Ileana and Mei. After a few seconds, Mei got up to leave, knowing that it would be the only way for "Human" to relax.

The friends breathed sighs of relief once they were finally alone. In that time, Ileana finished her fruits and drank all of her water. Their solace lasted longer than they expected, but it eventually came to an end because Yu and Kwen returned less than an hour later. Ileana tensed up, already consciously deciding that she did not like Kwen. Rose gently squeezed Ileana's shoulder, silently promising to protect the frightened Princess.

" _Calm down, Human. Here's some food for you_ ," Yu said, putting some fruits down in front of Rose.

" _Thanks_ ," Rose muttered. Her stomach growled a bit to let everyone know just how hungry she was.

Yu waved it off. " _How's your friend doing? Did she get enough sleep?_ " He actually managed to sound concerned and was a little surprised that he felt concerned too. Something about the way the tiny daijinn cared for the human made him think that there was something different about Ileana than what he was used to from humans. He was sure the fact that she had not harshly ordered them to do anything or tried to abuse them in some manner helped his attitude.

Rose shrugged, not wanting to answer any questions in regards to Ileana. She shared some of her fruits and nuts with Ileana to make sure that she got her strength back. She tried to think of what to do with Ileana, but nothing was coming to mind. She admitted to herself that she more than likely needed to get Ileana out of the cave soon to make sure nothing happened to the Princess.

"You want to stretch your legs a bit?" Rose asked her friend when they were done with the food.

"Yes, please," Ileana answered with a relieved breath.

Rose stood up and helped Ileana to her feet. The Princess was clear to stand her full height; the cavern was tall enough to accommodate Kwen's gigantic frame. Rose took the Princess by the hand and started leading her to the exit, but Kwen reached out and grabbed Rose. She yowled like a startled cat as he yanked her by the neck.

" _Where the hell do you think you're going?_ " Kwen demanded with a hard expression in his eyes.

" _For a walk, so her legs don't fail her_ ," Rose answered in a deadpan tone, looking at him as if she thought he was some kind of moron.

The giant growled from the mocking expression. " _You know you can't just walk around. You need to tell me or Yu where the hell you're going. We've the ones responsible for you and everything, runt_ ," he reminded her.

Rose sighed and looked away for a moment. " _I'm just going to take her on a walk. I'm not running away and I'm not trying to get you into trouble. Don't worry_ ," she replied, knowing why he was always so rough with her. He was worried about getting in trouble if she did something against the pack's rules. Even someone as big and tough as Kwen did not want to tangle with Alpha if Rose broke the pack rules.

Rose did acknowledge that, even though Kwen was very rough with her, he had yet to actually hurt her. Yes, he liked grabbing her by the neck and slamming her into things, but she was well aware that he was capable of doing so much worse. He just seemed to think that he got her attention better when he was flinging her around.

" _Runt, why don't you just sit here and not move?_ " Kwen proposed.

Rose wanted to protest, but she did not get a chance to. Mei showed up at the entrance, shaking her head at the scene before her. She walked over to Kwen and grabbed his wrist.

" _Don't you know how to treat a lady? Let Human go_ ," Mei commanded with a snarl tugging at her top lip, showing off a short, pearly white canine tooth.

" _Don't order me around. I'm responsible for the runt. I'm the one that has to keep an eye on her_ ," Kwen huffed.

" _Keep an eye on her, not choke the life out of her. You're going to give her a permanent hand print around her neck. Now, let her go. Alpha wants to see her and her friend anyway_ ," Mei informed them all.

"Alpha?" Rose gasped. He wanted to see her already? She had not thought about what she was going to tell him, though. She sucked her teeth and cursed in her head.

"Who is Alpha?" Ileana asked.

"The leader of the pack," Rose deadpanned.

Ileana nodded. She wondered if "Alpha" was the name or just the title of the leader. She figured that she would find out soon enough because she took Rose's hand, showing that she was going too. Rose was about to argue, but she saw the look in the Princess' eye. She sighed and nodded, silently agreeing that Ileana could come along.

Kwen let go of Rose's neck and gave her pale skin a careful eye. He could see some dark red marks on her. He turned his eyes away while Mei inspected the bruise. She lightly fingered Rose's neck, which was also still covered by her chipped rein. Rose pulled away.

" _I can heal that_ ," Mei offered.

" _It'll heal on it's own_ ," Rose stated, snorting at the end of her sentence. She did not stick around to hear Mei's response.

Rose tore off, yanking Ileana with her. The Princess yelped a little, surprised by the strength in the compact form ahead of her, but was able to keep up with Rose after her initial shock. Rose had to help Ileana down from the cave wall that the groove was carved into. The three larger daijinn followed behind them.

Ileana tried to take in what she could see was an underground city as she followed Rose down the narrow streets. To each side, there were holes in the cave walls, which were living spaces. There were daijinn all over, some calling for Rose…or they were gawking at Ileana. It was difficult to tell as everyone was shouting "human," so it could have been either or.

They came to the back of the cave where there was a curtain blocking an area from view of the rest of the cave dwellers. Rose had not been there since she arrived with the group last week, so she was not too sure about the etiquette involved. She just stuck her head through the blanket and cleared her throat to bring attention to herself. When that was not enough, she knew that she had to say something.

" _You wanted to see me?_ " Rose called to the back of the room, where Alpha was resting on his bed of furs. A woman was lying next to him, her head on his massive, tanned shoulder.

" _Come in, Human. Did you bring that girl with you?_ " Alpha inquired. His voice was deep, like a bottomless pit.

Rose nodded as she stepped inside, taking Ileana in with her. The trio behind them stepped in too. Ileana looked around the dimly lit, room to see it was much more elaborate than where she was staying with Rose and the two males. There were candles settled in tall, golden holders bathing the room in warmth and light. There was a short, dark wooden table by pair reclining on the furs and on that table were expensive dishes with food so warm that steam was rising from the plates. There were also crystal goblets for drinks with a silver pitcher. Ileana was not surprised by the decadence since they were in the home of the leader.

Alpha yawned from his place on the plush mattress of furs and climbed to his feet. Rose and Ileana wondered when he would actually reach full height. Alpha made Kwen look like a toddler in both height and muscle. His chest was bare, showing that he was ripped with muscle and tattooed with black lines that Ileana thought looked like the marks on Rose's hand. The thick, ebony lines covered Alpha's chest, back, arms, and hands. His red-rimmed, ocean-colored eyes seemed to bore into Rose and Ileana as he glared down on them.

" _Who is she?_ " Alpha demanded to know, speaking to Rose, but pointing to Ileana. There was a growl in the question, showing that he did not want any nonsense with it.

"What did he ask?" Ileana inquired in a whisper.

Rose waved her friend off. " _Just a human I know_ ," she answered to the leader of the pack.

Alpha looked Ileana up and down. Rose frowned at the distrust being displayed, but then again, it was not like she trusted Alpha either. From the time that she joined the pack, she did not like the community much that he set up, a place that allowed the strong to prey on the weak. She had seen him throwing his weight around many times in her short stay, showing no one respect, and taking whatever he wanted because he was bigger and stronger than everyone else. She was sick of seeing people lead by fear and bullying everyone, but there was not much she could do about it since everyone else went right with that program.

Rose looked over at Ileana, wondering if her friend had something that might betray who she was. Her clothing alone pointed out the fact that she was wealthy, but Rose was not sure if there was anything that showed Ileana was the eldest child of King Vladimir. But, the way Alpha's eyes lingered on Ileana caused Rose's heart to pound and her instincts started barking at her to get her ass out of there. Instincts were about the only thing that had not betrayed her in a long time, so she was going to listen to them.

" _I'm going to show her around a little bit, okay?_ " Rose requested, eyes on the ground.

" _Whatever_ ," Alpha snorted and dismissed her with a wave of his hand, showing that he did not care about either of them one way or another. " _Just make sure you don't leave this cave_."

Rose nodded and she quickly yanked Ileana out of the den. Kwen, Yu, and Mei were all about to follow, but Alpha stopped them by holding up his hand. They turned their attention to him.

" _That girl with Human, did she say anything to you about who she is?_ " Alpha asked curiously.

" _No, nothing. She hasn't even told us the girl's name_ ," Yu admitted, even though he did not think it was so strange. He was sure that anyone with at least one working sense could tell that "Human" did not trust any of them. He could not blame her, guessing what happened to her while she lived in the city since most daijinn had similar stories. He knew it was always hard to trust after being used and abused for a long period of time, as he assumed she was.

" _Don't you think that's a little strange? You saved her friend from dying in the woods and she won't even tell you the girl's name_ ," Alpha commented as he sat back down, reclining on his bed.

Yu and Kwen shrugged. " _We never bothered to ask_ ," Yu replied. What did they care about some lost human, after all?

They did not even know what Rose's actual name was, so they were not surprised that she did not tell them what her friend's name was. They both knew that they would not have cared if Rose had said anything and would not have paid her any mind if she did. They held no love for humans and they had no plans of using that girl's name if they did know it.

The only reason that they had even brought Rose to the lost human was to get information out of the human about why she was in their part of the forest. It was a surprise to them that Rose knew the girl at all. It was also surprising that Rose trusted the girl enough to help her and want to protect her. They did not see the harm in indulging the miserable runt for a while considering the human's presence brightened their roommate up more than she had been since coming to stay with them.

Mei did not say it, but she just thought that the two males were very soft-hearted underneath it all. They saved "Human" from starving to death and took her in when they found out that she did not have anywhere to go. They accepted responsibility for her when their suspicious leader decided he "did not like the look of her." They did not press her for information to make her uncomfortable. They had even allowed her to bring an actual human into their den because it made her happy. Mei knew that "Human" reminded them of their own hard times and they wanted to help someone who was so much like themselves. Of course, if she ever said that, Yu would deny it and ignore her while Kwen would fly into a rage while making sure to point out how rough and mean he was to their roommate.

" _Alpha, sir, you've obviously got something in mind, so how about you tell us what you're thinking_ ," Mei suggested. Games were only fun when she was the one playing them.

" _You didn't notice the ring on her finger? It had the royal seal on it. She's the King's only daughter. We can use this to our advantage_ ," Alpha stated.

" _How so?_ " Yu asked, eyebrow raised, but he was able to swallow down any suspicion in his tone.

" _We now have a bargaining chip. Instead of robbing people coming through the forest for supplies, we can just force the King to give us what we need. We can have more blankets, cloth, clothing, food, trinkets and all sorts of things_ ," Alpha pointed out with a greedy smile on his face. The trio had no doubt that he wanted much more than he listed if his expression meant anything.

" _We could, if he believed that we had his daughter. What would make him believe any message from us? We're just runaway slaves_ ," Yu countered. Runaway slaves that the King believed were lower than dogs.

" _That's why we send proof along with the message_ ," Alpha stated with a dark look in his eyes.

" _A message?_ " Mei echoed. Her face tensed a little; she did not like the sound of that.

" _We'll send him a message with that ring and the finger it's attached to. For each week that he refuses to comply, we ship him a new piece of his daughter_ ," Alpha explained with a pleased smile. The trio did not react.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Alpha wants Ileana, but Rose isn't about to give her up so easily.


	22. 21: Shoulda, coulda, woulda

21: Shoulda, coulda, woulda

Rose sighed, her mind was racing. There was just too much going on, she thought. Making matters worse, she swore that she was not equipped for all the questions, problems, and stress. She was not a thinker, she told herself. She reacted to things. Ideas were Ileana's area and she really did not want to bother with explaining the situation to the Princess. She imagined that it would sound quite stupid of her to say that she was panicking because she had a feeling in her gut that something bad was going on and Ileana needed to get out of the cave. She did not have any evidence to back the feeling up, except that she knew all of the daijinn hated humans, which was enough for her. She did not take into account that if it was enough for her then it would be enough for Ileana.

Rose had a million questions running through her mind in regards to her friend. _Will Ileana go back home if I can get her out of here safe and sound? Will Ileana even make it home if she does decide to go back? What if Ileana decides to keep running away until she stumbled across her mother or something silly like that? Will I ever see Ileana again if this all goes right? Would she want me to go with her? Would I if she did? Was her father lying as always? But, if he was, why didn't she come for me? Why didn't she find me? Will things ever be the same after this?_

The last question led to other questions buzzing around Rose's mind. Would she ever get to talk to Ileana about why the Princess had left her to rot in that dungeon, all alone for who-knew-how long? She did not want to believe what the King said to her in the dungeon. She did not want to believe that Ileana truly hated her and let her go insane and die in that tiny cell. She did not want to believe that she was truly alone in the world.

Rose shook the thoughts away. Her wellbeing did not matter at the moment, she told herself. Whatever was going on, she could handle it; she had lived a life of beatings and abuse. She would be able to take it, but Ileana would not, nor would she want the Princess to have to experience such a thing. She needed to get Ileana out without anybody spotting her leaving the cave.

She glanced over at Ileana and wondered what thoughts might be going through the Princess' mind as they wandered the cave. Really, Ileana's eyes saw nothing ahead of her and it was not because of the poor lighting. The only thing that her mind could focus on was the hand holding hers, assuring her that her iris was alive and somewhat well. She could not think of anything better than the fact that Rose was not dead, not a ghost, but actually by her side and with her again. She squeezed the rough hand in her grip and smiled.

Rose smiled from the contact. It certainly did not _feel_ like Ileana hated her, but she wondered if that was just hope in her soul, wanting so badly to matter to someone. She once again shook the thoughts away. She needed to stay focus on one problem at a time and Ileana's safety was above everything else.

"So, are you going to stay here from now on?" Ileana asked curiously. She wanted to ask her own barrage of questions, most swirling around why Rose was not dead, how Rose managed to get out of the palace, and why Rose had not returned to her, but she wanted them to be alone for those questions. She also did not want to overwhelm the shorter teen, so she needed some time to get herself together.

Rose shrugged and she would have left it at that, but Ileana playfully poked her hard in the arm, letting her friend know that a shrug was not a good enough response anymore. She let out a hiss more from surprise than pain. Ileana glared at her friend.

"Do not play silent with me. Talk to me, like you do with all of these people," Ileana requested in a low, almost pleading voice. She had never seen Rose talk to so many people in all of her life; in fact, she was pretty sure that she and Fry were the only people that Rose had ever spoken to.

Rose snorted and bit back the words that wanted to come out. She wanted to say that she talked to "these people" because she was the runt, not because she had an overwhelming urge to speak. She tried playing mute the first couple of days that she was there and had been shoved into the walls and the ground so many times that she thought her ribs might cave in. They did not accept that Rose wanted to just be quiet and out of the way. They wanted her to do things and she better look them in the eye and respond to them in some verbal way to let them know that they had been heard or she would pay the price. Two weeks had never felt so long in recent memory.

But, Rose would take the good with the bad, much like she did with working in the palace's kitchen. She enjoyed doing things; it felt like she was being useful. Most of the time, she did not mind the chores that they barked out at her. It was not like she had anything better to do with her time. They were only troublesome now because she wished to spend all of her time with Ileana and revel in her presence as if it was a drug.

"Don't compare yourself with these people," Rose said sharply, pausing to take a deep breath, hoping to ease some tightness that was building in her chest.

Ileana misunderstood her friend's words. She felt her heart clench so firmly that she almost thought it was going to fold in on itself. Did Rose prefer being around others like her all of a sudden? She had not enjoyed the kitchen staff so much and she had always enthusiastically returned to the room when she was locked away in the belly of the palace with the other daijinn. But, then again, Ileana remembered that Rose did not talk much about her time down there. Did that mean that Rose enjoyed it and just did not wish to hurt Ileana's feelings? Obviously, hurting her feelings right now was not an issue, the Princess thought bitterly.

"Sorry," Ileana actually apologized, eyes looking anywhere but at Rose. She was afraid of what she might find in those deep, golden eyes.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You're nothing like them…" Rose trailed off. Even if Ileana hated her guts, she was still nothing like everyone else, the smaller teen thought. No matter what, she knew that Ileana would always be special to her.

Ileana nodded because she did not know what to do. She supposed that Rose was going to be staying then. _Maybe…maybe I could stay too_. She just did not want to be without her Rose anymore. She was almost certain that she would die without Rose by her side. What other pleasant constant did she have in her life?

"Rose," Ileana said, wishing to get all of her emotions out in one word. She found that it was quite impossible and her friend's name hung there in the air with nothing surrounding it, like a fading wish. There was no one word that would tell Rose how much she meant to the Princess, how much Ileana wanted her to come back, how much Ileana wanted her to stay away to make sure the King did not get another chance to take her head, how much the Princess wanted Rose to be with her always and forever. It was all too much and Ileana was almost certain a million words would never be able to express everything that she felt for and wanted for Rose.

The smaller teen turned to her friend, looking into those hazel eyes. Those first human eyes that she had grown to trust and thinking about that caused her heart to thump heavy in her chest from sorrow, disappointment, and even regret. She wanted to say something, but found all the words between her brain and her mouth got all mixed up and could not come out. She felt so overwhelmed by all of the thoughts and emotions raging through her that she wanted to throw herself into and away from Ileana at the same time while bawling her eyes out and screaming at the top of her lungs. Before she got a chance to say anything, she heard familiar voices calling her most recent name.

" _Human!_ " Kwen, Yu, and Mei all called together as they trotted over to the duo.

" _Yeah?_ " Rose replied with a sigh as she turned to the trio. She wondered what chores they had for her now. She imagined that they might want her to go fetch them the moon from the sky for them to meet the god himself.

" _We need to take charge of your friend for a little while_ ," Yu informed the tiny teen, trying his best to sound as casual and normal about the matter.

Rose narrowed her gaze on them, which told them immediately that they requested the wrong thing of her. She quickly stood in front of Ileana, as if to defend her. The trio all looked shocked by her actions, never seeing the lowest member of the pack stand up to three high ranking members. They were dumbstruck for a moment before Kwen tried to step up, but Mei put a hand to his chest.

" _It's only for a little while. Nothing bad_ ," Mei tried to assure the shorter girl with a smile on her face, pressing her palms together as if pleading with Rose to comply and trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

Rose only became more defensive, tensing and growling at them. Ileana was not sure what was going on, but she did make sure that she was standing directly behind Rose. The two friends watched the trio before them, waiting for any sudden movements. Mei and Yu tried to think of something to put Rose at ease before she did something that they were sure she would end up regretting.

" _Why?_ " Rose demanded to know. _What could bitter daijinn want with a lone human, except to hurt her?_ Well, Rose would not allow it!

" _Don't ask so many questions. Just give us the girl and we'll bring her back_ ," Kwen growled, impatient as ever. He flexed and was seconds away from just yanking the Princess away from "the runt."

" _Why?_ " Rose demanded again, eyes darting back and forth between each much larger teenager. She did not care how tall they were or how wide they were. If she did not get an explanation, they were not getting anywhere near Ileana. And may the sun and the moon help them should they try to take Ileana from her, she thought.

"What is going on?" Ileana asked in a whisper.

"Nothing, just stay behind me. If I tell you to run, go and don't bother looking back," Rose instructed her friend, golden eyes still glued to the trio in front of her. She could feel Ileana nodding.

" _Look, Alpha just wants to see her. Now, you have to do what Alpha wants. He's the leader and that's just how it works_ ," Yu explained calmly. He figured that mentioning Alpha might scare the small girl into complying. No one wanted to make Alpha angry, first off, and Rose seemed very willing to follow the pack rules, so he thought that would be enough.

" _What does he want with her?_ " Rose inquired, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

" _Why don't you come along? You can find out_ ," Mei suggested, earning glares from the two males with her for brief moments.

" _I will then_ ," Rose stated soundly.

The small teen took Ileana by the hand, but remained in front of her. Rose followed the trio back to the leader's home. Something inside of Rose was screaming at her not to follow through with what was going on. She decided not to fight her instincts since they had kept her alive all this time. She slowly started falling back, little by little. She knew that the trio would not question her slow pace because of her short legs. She waited for them to get to a more populated area before she stopped altogether.

"Ileana, run," Rose commanded in a hard tone.

"Why? What is going on?" Ileana inquired with confusion in her voice. Her face scrunched up with a bewildered expression, baffled by the sudden change.

"I have no clue, but this just doesn't feel right. These guys have taken far too much interest in you and there's no real love here for humans. Something just isn't right," the smaller teen answered.

There was something in Rose's voice and eyes that told the Princess not to question her strange change. Besides, she could feel a sense of danger hanging in the air like a stalking vulture. Ileana nodded and she decided to trust the only person that she believed she could. She turned around and took off running. Rose was right with her, leading her to the cave entrance. She hoped that it took Kwen, Yu, and Mei a little while to realize that they were gone; all of the noise from the people should have covered up their footsteps as they bolted.

After a few minutes, Kwen did glance back because he wanted to make sure that "the runt" did not fall too far behind. He let out a loud swear word when he saw that the only thing following them were their own shadows. Yu and Mei halted because of his exclamation. They groaned when they saw that they were alone.

" _Alpha is going to kill us!_ " Kwen snarled, ready to run off after the fleeing pair. Yu stopped him by grabbing him by the arm.

" _Wait. This is more than just Alpha killing us. They could return to the city and tell the humans where we live. I will not be a slave again!_ " Yu declared and his eyes bore into his companion's gaze. " _And I know that you will not be one either_."

" _So, what do we do?_ " Mei inquired, fiddling with reins that were still locked on her arms, constant reminders of when she, too, was a slave for the humans.

" _We have to tell Alpha! This is beyond us. This can affect all of our people_ ," Yu pointed out.

" _That little fool. She's damned us all for a fucking human!_ " Kwen roared in a fury. A vein in his forehead stuck out and throbbed from his anger and feelings of betrayal by their own kind.

The trio bolted off, heading off toward the den of their leader. They did not bother to think of what they were going to tell Alpha when they got there. They burst into the cove, forgetting any and all procedures that they should have gone through.

" _What the hell are you three doing? Where's the Princess?_ " Alpha demanded to know, tearing up from his seat. Standing, he seemed to take up all of the space in the den.

" _Human took off with her!_ " Kwen reported in his typical excitable fashion. He threw his large arm out for good measure and almost slapped Yu's head off of his shoulders. Yu ducked just in time.

" _Go after them! If they make it back to the city, we're all as good as dead!_ " Alpha ordered, his tree truck of an arm sweeping out.

The trio did not need to be told twice. They took off while Alpha started barking out orders, getting people to move. The way he was shouting and moving about, people were starting to think it was the end of the world. If only they knew, he thought.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was trying to keep up with Rose as they tore through the forest. It was much easier for her to see now that the sun was high in the sky. She hoped to avoid anymore injuries while fleeing because she could see, but she was taxing her muscles by trying to keep up with Rose. As hard as she ran, it was difficult for the Princess to keep pace with her friend. Her ankle was still injured and pulsating with pain thanks to every step she took.

Rose noticed her cohort's limp and halted for a moment. She knew that they did not have much time before they were caught. They had to keep moving, but she did not want to cause her friend irreparable damage to her foot.

"Are you okay?" Rose begged to know, seeing the grimace twisting her friend's expression. Anxiety simmered in golden eyes, knowing they did not have much time and fearing that the Princess was seriously injured.

"Yes. My ankle is just a little bothered," Ileana lied. Her ankle was very bothered, pounding like she never felt before. She was willing to bet her ankle was extremely discolored and probably the size of her fist; she was right.

Rose dropped to the ground suddenly; Ileana almost jumped back because of the action. She sucked her teeth as she saw the swollen, dark violet joint. She ran her fingers through her hair and then rubbed her forehead, trying to keep a panic-attack at bay.

"Rose, where are we going?" Ileana asked, looking around and seeing nothing but dense forest.

"I don't know," Rose answered as she stood up and started pacing. She did not know what she was doing, where she was going, or even what was happening. Her mind felt like it was whirling and the world was spinning. "Damn it," she hissed in frustration.

"Rose," Ileana gasped. She was a little surprised to hear such causal swearing from her best friend. Rose did not acknowledge the scolding, too busy trying to figure out what their next move would be.

Ileana watched her friend pace for a moment, seeing Rose's movements get more frantic by the second. She could practically see anxious waves pouring out of Rose's body. She did the first thing that came to mind in order to calm the shorter teen down. Ileana grabbed Rose into a surprising hug. The Princess pressed Rose to her and placed several delicate kisses to the pale, sweaty face. Rose lost herself in the affection. She knew that they did not really have time for such actions, but she could never resist her friend's comforting touch. _Maybe I am not so hated, after all_.

"I am so sorry," Ileana whispered in a tone almost below a breath.

"For what?" Rose asked curiously.

"For everything. It's my fault we are where are right now! I actually just stood there while he had you carried away. I watched them take you from me! I just watched! I should have done something!" the Princess answered, biting back tears. Yes, she was angry with her father for trying to kill Rose, but she was more disappointed in herself for not being able to save Rose.

"It's all right. You always stand up for me—" Rose tried to be reassuring, hoping that it would be enough to get them moving again, but she was cut off. Apparently, Ileana had to pour it out now that she started.

"This was the most important time! He wanted to kill you and it would have been all my fault!" Ileana barked, eyes flashing with an anger pouring out through her voice and her cohort was not sure who the emotion was directed toward. Her body felt weak just from saying that as the sheer realization dawned on her. She could have gotten Rose killed; she was close to retching right there in the middle of their embrace.

Rose was about to argue that it was her attack on Garrick that had almost gotten her killed, but her ears twitched, picking up distant sounds. Swearing under her breath again, she pulled away from her friend and turned from the direction that they were running from. She panted, peering off into the dense trees, eyes wide, ears pointed forward, and nose trying its best to get some sort of scent.

"Rose, what is going on now?" Ileana inquired with worried as eyes as she stared out into the same direction as her friend.

"They're coming and I don't think it's just the three jerks that we dumped," Rose replied. "Come on!" She reached and firmly grasped the Princess' hand.

Ileana did not argue and allowed Rose to pull her off. The smaller girl knew that they were not going to get far, not with Ileana's ankle as it was. Besides, the sounds and smells told her that they were not just running from the trio. They were running from a massive group of daijinn and she doubted that she and her friend would be able to outrun them for long. Still, she pulled the Princess forward, ignoring the now familiar pounding of her heart.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it!_ Rose hollered in her head. She had no clue what she was doing and she felt so lost, yet she kept running, making sure that Ileana was keeping up with her.

The Princess was grimacing as she tried to keep pace again. Seeing that Ileana was slowing down, the smaller teen then surprised the Princess by easily picking Ileana up and holding the Princess snuggly in her arms. Ileana yelped in shock while Rose just kept running. She could not believe how effortlessly the tiny girl was holding her, but she did wrap her arms around a pale neck for good measure. Fearing the worst, Rose picked up her pace, going as fast as her legs would allow while carrying Ileana.

"I've got you," Rose assured her friend as she held the taller teen to her securely.

"I know," Ileana replied, trying to focus on the task at hand rather than the fact that her best friend was simply amazing. She could not believe the ease that Rose was holding her taller frame. She wondered how much power was locked in the little body that she was pressed against.

Rose glanced behind them and wondered how long it would be until the pack caught up. _Will I be able to Ileana to safety?_ For her, that was the most important question. It was her turn to protect Ileana and she would not let the Princess down, she silently vowed. She held onto Ileana tighter while zigzagging through the trees.

Rose was beginning to realize that running was pointless. Her senses were telling her that the pack was just too close. She made it to a small mound of rocks, pushing out of the dirt. She took them behind the stones and put Ileana down there. The Princess wondered what was going on as Rose made sure that she was secure on the ground. Rose allowed her hands to linger on a waist that she was ready to believe was perfect. She smiled, thinking about how everything on Ileana, _her_ Ileana, was perfect. It was a good final thought, she figured.

"Rose?" Ileana said in a fretful whisper because she could see infinite sorrow in those golden eyes. She leaned down and caressed her friend's cheek, touching Rose as if she feared the smaller teen would fade away.

"You need to go. I'll hold them off for as long as I can and you make a run for it as fast as you can. We're close to some of the palace tunnels, so if you make it there, you should be able to make it back home," Rose explained.

"No. I cannot leave you to face them all alone!" Ileana objected, cupping Rose's face now and looking at her with fiery, pleading hazel eyes.

"You're in a lot more danger than I am. They have no love for humans and their biggest fear is that humans will find out where they are. They will not be kind to you if they get their hands on you. They won't listen either if I promise that you're not that type of human. They will just make sure you don't talk, using whatever they feel they have to. So, you're the one that has to go," Rose pointed out.

"Come with me! We can both escape then!" the Princess countered. It was an impulsive thought, but in the back of her mind, she wondered how it was possible for her and Rose to actually ever be together again. Her father wanted Rose's head and he might even take it himself should he ever see her again.

"We won't make it! They're almost here. I'll hold them off and give you enough time to make it away from here!" Rose stated.

"Rose…" Ileana begged, not even sure what she was imploring. Her face was warped into a pout and tearful expression.

"Let me do this for you. You protected me for so long, let me protect you for once," the smaller teen implored her friend, golden eyes large and watery.

 _Of all the favors to ask for!_ Ileana growled internally, clenching her hands into tight fists. She could feel her nails digging into skin, but her frustration just made her ball her hands up even more. She would give Rose anything and the small daijinn was requesting that she run away!

"Go," Rose beseeched her best friend. "Just turn around and run and keep running. Don't turn around, don't look back, and don't think about me. Just run."

Ileana's bottom lip trembled; tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. She grabbed Rose into one last hug. No, she mentally corrected herself; it would not be their last hug. She promised herself that one day she would hold Rose again. Rose could feel the vow through her friend's embrace.

As they pulled away, Rose felt an urge that was so powerful there was no way that she could fight it. There was one more thing that she wanted from Ileana. She pulled the Princess down by the shoulders, bring Ileana to her level. Before Ileana was able to question the move, Rose put her hand behind Ileana's head and crushed her lips to the Princess' mouth. The kiss was new to both of them, born of a passion that they did not know built up for years. It was like pure fire, blazing into their bodies, searing their nerve-endings, burning in their blood, and scorching their souls. It was the past, it was the present, and it was the future.

The Princess was stunned, eyes opened wide, but immediately her mouth surrendered to the sweet feel of Rose's lips against her own. She moaned and reached down to the hold Rose's shorter frame to her own. There was no space between their bodies. They were one force, one entity, locked together in sheer hunger, fervor, and need. For this time, there was no thinking, logic, fear, or denial. There was just their truth, _the_ truth.

The kiss was only a moment, but it felt like a lifetime to them. It was a perfect lifetime, without pain, without suffering, and without hiding. For that moment, it felt like everything was right in the world, but reality returned as soon as Rose pulled away with enough time to see the wide-eyed expression of her friend. Her heart did not bother to resume beating; it just shattered in her chest. The truth seemed like a distant memory and the future felt bleak to the short teen.

Rose's ears shifted, picking up the light footfalls in the distance that were getting closer. Reality's ugly head was rearing, storming into a world that no longer existed anyway, not from what Rose could tell. There was one thing left to do.

"Go, now," Rose ordered, pushing Ileana away. _It's_ _for the best_ , she silently insisted. She was not going to subject Ileana to any more pain, not even the pain she still thought Ileana suffered from her presence.

"Rose…" The Princess was not sure what to say after that. She was slightly disorientated from that kiss that they shared.

"Go!" Rose roared, fury in her tone and eyes. The Princess backed away, not expecting such intense anger from her quiet friend.

"What about—" Ileana was cut off, unable to finish voicing her concern for her friend, which would have help heal some wounds for both of them.

"You have to leave now! If not for yourself, then for Viktor. You have to take care of him," Rose reminded the Princess. She knew that thinking of the Prince, Ileana would finally move.

Ileana flinched as if she was hurt. She did have to take care of Viktor. She was the only one that truly cared about the boy beyond the fact that he was the Crown Prince. She was the only one that truly loved her brother in that cold palace. He needed her.

Ileana sucked her teeth and glared at Rose for one final moment, upset with having to abandon her best friend for a second time. She then took off in the direction that they had been fleeing before. There were so many things that she wanted to say and she did not get the chance, she silently lamented. She was not the only one, though. Rose's soul felt burdened and she believed that she would always feel that way now that Ileana was gone.

"She might be out of my life, but I will make sure that she gets to live hers," Rose said and she turned her attention to her right hand. "Just give me one last miracle," she begged her arm as she heard her pack approach. Maybe it was a good day to die, she considered.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Rose vs. The Pack. Who will win?


	23. 22: A hot time

22: A hot time

Rose cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, waiting for her pack to show up. For the first time, she did not feel the fear or the nervous that always caused her heart to pound wildly in her chest like she was going to explode, even though she knew that something terrible was coming her way. Her body was not trembling in any manner. She did not feel like she might throw up. It was like there was no confrontation coming at all, she thought. She was standing strong and confident, even though she was pretty sure that when her pack stood before her, they were going to tear her apart. She would not hold it against them when they ripped into her.

Rose fully understood why they wanted to stop her, why they wanted to stop Ileana. None of them wanted to go back to the city, back to the humans. None of them wanted to be slaves again. None of them wanted to be dogs again. It was natural to desire freedom and to belong to no one. It was natural to want to destroy anything that might snatch those things away too.

 _Still, I just want Ileana to be safe_ , Rose reminded herself.

The first person to enter her line of sight was Yu. Rose gulped; out of everyone that she had met in the daijinn community, Yu had been the kindest to her. He requested things of her, not ordered, and he thanked her for things. He stood up for her on a few occasions, even though he had only just met her. He made sure that she got blankets to sleep on, food to eat, and did not treat her like a burden, even though he had been charged with keeping an eye on her. Sure, sometimes he was mean to her, like everyone else, but she recognized that was not nearly as often as everyone else was mean to her.

" _Yu, I can't let you go any further than this_ ," Rose announced in a voice of pure steel.

" _Human, just stand down. Everything will be fine_ ," Yu promised her. He had a look in his eye that said he did not want to go through her, but he would have no problem with doing so if it meant maintaining his freedom.

" _Honest men make horrible liars, Yu. I know things won't be fine. What the hell do you want with her?_ " Rose demanded, not that she cared. She knew that they would harm Ileana no matter what and that was all that mattered to her.

" _Just stand down. I don't want to hurt you, but I will. I can't let that girl get back to the city. I will not be a slave again_ ," Yu stated strongly, a frown marring his fair, oval-shaped face.

" _She won't tell anybody. So, just turn around and go back to the den_ ," Rose replied, hoping that worked, but all too aware that she was going to have a fight on her hands.

" _It's not that simple, and I won't just take your word on it because you have some kind of relationship with her. What're you to her? A pet? You damn us all because you want to go back to being the Princess' pet?_ " Yu spat out in sheer disgust. Orange eyes gazed at Rose as if she was the most retched thing on the planet.

Rose growled. She was not Ileana's pet, she silently insisted. They were friends, she mentally stated and refused to think of anything beyond that, even as negative thoughts tried to nip at her brain. Ileana was her friend, her best friend. And she would protect her best friend until her last breath.

The golden-eyed teen turned her attention to her right arm, trying her best ignite the flame that she knew was inside of her. But, much to her dismay, she did not feel anything, not even a tingle. She quietly pled with her hand, _just one last miracle, please_.

" _How did you know who she was?_ " Rose asked, mostly to stall him. She did find it odd that he knew who Ileana was, though. It led her to believe that there was something more going on here than just the daijinn hating any human and that was why they were going after Ileana.

" _I told him_ ," Alpha declared as he emerged from the trees, pushing a couple of the plants over to get them out of his way. He seemed to take up the whole area as soon as he was standing tall. Other members of the pack came up behind him, through his homemade path.

" _What do you want with her?_ " Rose persisted, eyes on Alpha, but her attention was shifting to keep up with everyone. If anyone took off in Ileana's direction, she planned to be on them like wet on rain.

" _You don't have to worry about that. We'll deal with you, you little traitor, after we get that little bitch back_ ," Alpha informed her with a snarl curled on his lip.

" _I can't let you do that_ ," Rose stated soundly, a stony mask sliding onto her face. She flexed her hands and her claws extended. The talons shone in the midday sun, threatening any and all that wanted to test her.

" _You think you can take me, Human? You're just a runt._ The _runt, in fact_ ," Alpha pointed out with a hard expression on his face. He spat in her direction, almost hitting her with the glob of saliva.

Rose did not move as the spit flew by her. She did not answer his taunt either. She just silently pled with her right hand to give her one more miracle. Just one last favor to repay her friend, to keep safe the one person that let her know that she mattered. Tears started to gather in her eyes because she was not in control of the power in her arm. She could not call forth the fire. She felt defeated, useless all over again.

" _Now, we're going to get that human_ ," Alpha stated, puffing out his chest and glaring down at her as more of the pack approached. His tone and powerful gaze told her that there would be no arguing over the matter.

" _I can't let you do that_ ," Rose said in a stern, cold voice. Her courage did not waver as she saw members of the pack pouring in, eyes glaring toward her. Hatred etched in their faces, disgust and anger pouring off of them, all directed to her.

" _Runt, step out of the way and just shut up!_ " Kwen commanded as he came up behind Yu. His voice was a lot stronger than his eyes. It was almost as if through his eyes he was pleading with her to move.

Rose eyed the two males that she had stayed with since they found her in that berry patch, Yu and Kwen. She could see in their eyes, despite their fury, they did not wish to fight her. She almost laughed; they did not want to hurt her. It tickled her a little considering how rough Kwen was with her, but she did not care at the moment. Ileana was the only thing on the planet that mattered to her.

" _I can't do that_ ," Rose said. From her tone alone, they knew that there would be no arguing with her. " _So, you guys are either going to have to turn around or kill me_." The glint in her eyes made it clear that it was going to be one way or the other because there was just no way that she was going to let them touch Ileana.

Alpha erupted into deep laughter while some of the other pack members came to see what all of the commotion was about. Rose could hardly believe her eyes as more than two dozen people showed up. She knew there were more out there, but it just seemed beyond her that Alpha would send so many people after her and Ileana; they were just two teenagers for crying out loud. So many people against her, against the runt.

"Fine, have it your way," Rose decided and she rolled her shoulders before crouching into a fighting stance, holding her claws up and ready to rip into them if that was how they wanted it.

" _Traitor! You're going to fight against us? We took you in, fed you, gave you a place to live, accepted you into our Pack, and you're going to fight us for a damned human?_ " Kwen bellowed in disbelief, throwing his arm out in a sweeping motion. His eyes now blazed from the boiling rage that he felt toward the runt and her sheer stupidity.

Rose could not argue that point. They had done all of the things that Kwen listed and she probably would have stayed with them if Ileana had not shown up. She dared to concede that she might have found some happiness with them eventually. She might have moved up in status and gained something, but she would never know; she did not even know what might make her happy beyond being with Ileana anyway. She would never know what could have been with the pack, though.

Now, everything depended on her protecting Ileana and that was the only thing that mattered. She knew that they would never understand that. She knew that she would never be able to get them to see and accept how important Ileana was to her. All humans were the same to them and she was not about to take up the momentous task of changing their minds.

Rose glanced at her right hand, praying for that miracle again. Her right hand was a disappointment. She was a disappointment since she could not control that power. She silently cursed herself, damning herself thousands of times. _I am useless!_ Everything about her was worthless! Her bottom lip trembled, attempting to let a sob escape her throat because she was sure that she had let down Ileana, but she swallowed it back down.

She knew that she did not stand a chance against the pack, not without divine intervention anyway. She needed that fire and continued to pray for it while watching the pack and waiting for them to make their moves. It did not seem that the gods were with her, but she was not about to turn tail and run. She was going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that Ileana had enough time to make it to one of the tunnels. Even without her fire, but the fire would have allowed her to hold them off so much longer.

Rose was pulled out of her mental determination by the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching her. She looked up in time to see Alpha charging her. He went to slap her out of the way, but after spending a lifetime of being knocked around, she had been able to tell when such hits were coming. Rose quickly ducked, avoiding the blow completely.

Alpha appeared to be quite shocked that Rose moved and he missed. She was not sure why he was surprised and she did not stop to ask. She just went into her countermove, coming up at him with her claws bared, looking to give him a slashing uppercut. He moved back just in time to avoid having his chest and neck torn open. Her speed was another surprise for him and he backed away for a second, just to gather himself.

Alpha glared at the small, fiery creature before him. He could not believe her gall; the runt had attacked him? He would show her what it meant to challenge the leader of the pack, he silently vowed while snorting in anger. He would tear her apart to remind everyone who was in charge of their group. He would display her head in his cavern down in their home to let everyone know what happened when he was challenged.

" _I'll deal with the runt. The rest of you, go get the Princess! And rip her legs off to make sure this doesn't happen again!_ " Alpha ordered in a harsh bellow, throwing his massive hand forward, motioning for an advance from the group.

"No!" Rose roared and cut her eyes from the leader of the pack to the members pressing forward. She was not going to let them touch Ileana!

Alpha moved suddenly and took Rose by the neck, yanking her off of the ground with a force that was close to neck-breaking. She let out a mighty roar that cleared the surrounding forest of animals. The birds as far as the eye could see took to the sky as the shout from the depths of her body continued on. Her eyes hardened, but burned with an intense vigor, and for some reason it seemed as if her canine teeth grew longer, shining brightly in the sun. Veins bulged in her right arm and the curved black lines on her wrist and forearm grew, snaking upward around her bicep, crossing and connecting with each other. The onyx marks eventually disappearing into her shirt sleeve.

"Nobody's touching Ileana!" Rose screamed, throwing her right hand out toward the advancing daijinn. To everyone's surprise a column of orange flame came from her arm, swirling, and heading right for the fools going after Ileana.

The sight was so stunning that it caused Alpha to drop Rose. Her mind shifted as she hit the ground, instinct and desire taking over. She quickly turned, spinning on her heel, throwing out her arm again to stop the others. The fire that raged from her arm snaked down her limb and licked at their flesh with enough power to back them up a few inches.

" _Show me your fire_ ," Rose dared them all with a ferocious look in her molten gold eyes. She looked like a wild beast, ready to devour her enemies. It was clear that whatever she might have felt for the pack was locked away and all that was left was a desire to cut them down if they advanced any further.

Rose was under the impression that most of them could also call forth the flames because they had tattoos like she did. It was one of the reasons why she was so sure she was going to die fighting them. But, she did not care how many of them could bring up the fire; she would stop them all to make sure that they did not hurt Ileana.

" _How the hell did she do that?_ " Kwen asked Yu in a puzzled, awed whisper.

" _Hell if I know_ ," Yu answered in an astonished tone of his own. His eyes were widened in shock. He had heard stories of such power, but he had always dismissed them as fairy tales told to comfort children. _Surely the goddess doesn't bless people in reality!_

" _You think your tricks are going to scare us?_ " Alpha asked through clenched teeth. His body was tenser than it had been seconds ago and now he looked for an opening, wanting to approach the runt with caution.

" _Show me your fire!_ " Rose demanded. There was a wild glint in her eyes and a vibe coming from her that seemed hotter than the fire she wielded, keeping everyone glued to the ground.

" _Half of you get the runt and the others go after that fucking human!_ " Alpha commanded and he waved them forward once again.

Rose snarled like a lion, showing off long canine teeth, keeping the mob in their places for the moment. Most of them were just too awed to move, trying to figure out what they had just witnessed. Rose's nerves were jumping, never feeling quite as alert as she was at the moment; it was like lightning was running through her system. She dug her feet into the ground, waiting to see who she was going to launch herself at first.

" _What the hell are you standing around for? Go!_ " Alpha screamed at the group.

A few daijinn at the front of the lines, stepped forward, but they did not move any further than that. They had felt the heat of the fire and they could imagine how it would sear their bodies if it came in direct contact with their flesh. The braver fools behind them obeyed the order, charging at the runt of the pack. They were met with a deafening roar like a vicious big cat and the fires of Hell, blocking their path. It was clear that the only way that they were getting to the Princess was to go through Rose, to go through a wall of fire.

Rose's panting became heavier as she eyed the people before her as if they were prey. She was looking for an indication of movement from anyone. She rotated her right hand, cracking her wrist, and causing everyone to take a sharp breath, thinking that she was going to go on the offensive now.

" _Runt, just move_ ," Kwen ordered in a pleading shout.

" _Make me_ ," Rose answered in a dead tone. Her breath was now showing up in thin fog as if it was freezing outside.

" _Get her! Get her ass!_ " Alpha commanded and he led the charge.

Sharp teeth shown from a snarl was followed by a spray of fire to greet the attackers. Rose did not bat an eye as some spilled through the wall of flames. Those that ventured close enough to her tasted her talons. She slashed through whatever came near her because everything near her was an enemy and enemies were made to be cut down. They were all her enemies. They were all her prey.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana limped through the brushes and trees, ignoring the new scratches that she was earning as she marched through the woods. In the distance, she could hear roaring, which got her to move faster. She knew what type of animals lived in the woods and she had no desire to become a meal for one. She kept telling herself that the noises did not sound like any animal that she could think of, which kept her moving. She really did not want to be eaten by some unknown beast.

The Princess resisted powerful urges to turn around, wanting to make sure that Rose was all right. Her legs did start to slow down and her head rotated, looking back in the direction that she had came, the direction that she left Rose. She was close to going back, standing with Rose like she believed she should have done before, but then another loud cry echoed through the forest. She froze, her heart pounded to the point that she could feel it in her throat, and her legs decided to keep moving in the direction that she was ordered to go by Rose.

"Rose, please be all right and please come back to me," the Princess prayed as she kept keen eyes open for the tunnel. She hoped that she did not have to go much further because her ankle was already screaming in agony.

She tried her best to stay optimistic, telling herself that Rose was alive and that meant that one day, hopefully soon, they would be reunited. She would be able to hold Rose again, shower her with kisses, and life would return to normal. She chuckled a bit, a hollow sound; she knew things would never be normal again.

 _Maybe things were never normal,_ Ileana thought. She continued talking to herself, reminding herself why she needed to keep moving and do it as fast as she could. She would see Rose again, but she needed to get home for Viktor. Her brother needed her, her brain chanted, attempting to keep her focused. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get Rose off of her mind, wishing that she was there to talk to.

As she continued to hobble as swiftly as she could through the woods, she wondered if Rose was upset with her. Had she ruined Rose's chance to be with her own kind, no matter how horribly they treated her? She could not help wondering if Rose was actually happier there than when she was in the palace. But, then again, Rose was not treated particularly well when she was in the palace either.

 _Did I treat her well?_ Ileana wondered, her thoughts going a mile-a-minute. She thought that she had treated Rose with all the love and care that she could, but was that really enough? _Was I enough?_ Her eyes frantically sought out the tunnel, hoping to take her mind away from the situation that she found herself in. _Could I ever be enough for her? How could I be if I could so easily walk away from her and leave her at such a horrible time?_

She tried her best to shake the thoughts away while trying to move faster than before. She heard roars behind her, getting more and more distant as she made her way through the forest. She moved a little faster with each noise that reached her, sending chills through her body. She ran from the noises, from the prospects of being caught, from the guilt of leaving Rose, and from thoughts that wanted to haunt her.

"I wish she had come with me. I wish she could tell me what I did wrong. What did she really mean when she said I could not compare with those people…her pack?" Ileana asked herself.

Before she could let the thoughts plague her further, she spotted the tunnel up ahead. The corridor was hidden behind large boulders and shrubbery. There was a trick to opening it, which involved knowing the correct branches to tug on in the right order. She silently thanked every deity that she could think of that she and Rose had explored those tunnels so long ago. Not only did she know how to find them and where they were hidden both inside and outside, but she also knew how to open them.

The Princess reached for the branches and shifted them as necessary. Two rocks slid apart, but not very far. The opening into the corridor was a narrow and Ileana could not imagine her father going through it. She slipped through the entrance without a problem and was greeted by the familiar darkness of the royal tunnels. She breathed a sigh of relief and sorrow, her shoulders slumping as the air exited her chest.

Ileana was sure that she was safe from her pursuers. She was aware that if they managed to get into the tunnel, they would easily be able to find her through her scent. She just doubted that the daijinn would want to come so close to the city since they disliked humans. They would be risking running into a lot of humans and it did not seem likely that would try that if they were going through so much trouble for one human.

If the daijinn did dare to tread near the tunnels, she hoped for once her father had guards searching for her. The guards would certainly have the daijinn thinking twice about things, but they would also have her second-guessing her return to the palace, her return to her father. Then again, she did wonder, who she should fear more, the daijinn or her father? It did not matter; Viktor needed her. She needed to get back home for Viktor.

 _I hope the guards are not in the tunnels. If they find me down here and take me to Father, there is no telling what he might do,_ the Princess said to herself as she navigated the tunnels with practiced ease.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose's chest was heaving as if she had just run a marathon, panting heavy through her mouth and nose. Her breath was visible in thin clouds. Her face was painted with dirt, blood, and ash, each smearing into the other. Her wild hair was going in every direction and almost covering her eyes, sticking to her face thanks to her own sweat and the blood. Her eyes were glazed over, not able to really take in the scene before her.

Exhausted from the intense ordeal, Rose collapsed to her knees, almost as if in prayer. She took in the carnage before her and thought that prayer was not going to do anything for the daijinn. Bodies littered the battered, smothering earth. Small flames still danced on leaves and sticks, filling the air with the smell of smoke over the aroma of charred flesh and blood.

Rose folded her legs underneath her and rested her elbows on her knees. Her right shoulder tingled and cried from the workout. She reached across her chest with her left hand and rubbed her twitching muscles. She glanced down at her right arm, watching her tattoos change again. The black lines slithered around the arm like a serpent up a tree, linking together and forming new designs, disappearing into her dirty, torn sleeve. She was not able to see where it halted; the design crept up to the base of her neck.

"Why didn't they call their fire too?" Rose wondered aloud, her voice dry and raspy.

The small teen held out her right hand and examined it. The milky skin was caked with debris, but the onyx lines of her tattoo were clear. The lines flashed with orange and red every few seconds, the fire not quite at rest yet. _Such power in such small hands, such a little body_. She could hardly believe that she had been able to fight so many people and live through the insane experience.

Rose cast her gazed to the laid out masses. How had she fought so many to come away the winner? After Alpha charged her, Rose had blacked out almost completely. It was like the battle had happened to someone else because the few memories she had did not even seem to connect. The blank spots in her memory left her a little disorientated after the battle and very confused, even now. Muddling her mind more was the fact that they had not called forth their flames. They all bore the same marks, which she was certain should give them the same ability to bring the fire.

"So, why didn't they call out their fire?" Rose contemplated this question with a hard look on her face. She shrugged off the thought because whatever the reason, she knew that Ileana was safe from the pack.

She continued to stare out into the sea of unmoving waves of daijinn, recalling how they had attacked her not too long ago. They were scattered on the charred ground like discarded flower petals now. They were ornaments of her garden, her creation. Her creation of injured trees with cracked trucks and branches with the bark was blown away, leaving the plants naked and exposed to any other torment that might come their way. The bushes were left bald, except for leaves of fire moving at the ends of the branches. Crimson puddles painted the one-time ocean of green grass that was now mostly blackened earth. She did not know she had such destruction in her.

"What I have done…all for you…only for you, Ileana. And for that, I don't have anything, but your memory…" Rose whispered to the air as she climbed to her feet, finally having her fill of the landscape.

The tired teen looked behind her and then she looked ahead of her. Neither were paths that she could walk; she could not go forward and she could not go back. Time and the world moved on, but she was still.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: both Ileana and Rose get surprises.


	24. 23: Moment of truth

23: Moment of truth

Ileana stepped into her room, finding the place to be exactly how she left it. The bedroom was in shambles, like a tornado ripped right through it. She guessed that none of the servants had been in there since her father left. She wondered how many days ago that was. If no servants had been there, did that mean no one knew that she was gone? The Princess suspected that if the servants had been there, they certainly betrayed her to her father again and more than likely told him that she was gone. She could only wonder what sort of punishment might come from that knowledge.

Of course, he could not do much else to her. He had already taken her precious iris from her, her dearest Rose. But, at least, he had not taken Rose from this world and that was good enough for her right now. Her mind turned to other matters as she regarded the state of her room.

"If the servants were not here, how in the world was I supposed to eat?" Ileana asked herself as her stomach made its hunger known. Maybe her father planned to starve her for a few days to teach her a lesson. Well, lesson not learned.

She closed the opening to the corridor that she used to return to the room and went to rest on her bed. Wooden chips had to be brushed off of the wrinkled linen for her to have a relatively clean place to sit. The bits of wood reminded her of all of the anger that she felt when her father had lied to her about Rose and about why he had sentenced Rose to death.

"Well, you did not win, Father. My iris is alive and well. I will see her again, one day. You cannot keep her from me, nor me from her," Ileana whispered into her pillow as her eyes began to drift closed.

Ileana woke up from her deep, dreamless sleep to the distinct feeling that eyes were on her. She sat quickly up, tense and ready to act. A gasp brought her attention to the front of the room where Miss Olga was standing. For a moment, Ileana remained tense, not too sure what to expect from her primary caregiver. But, then she realized that there was something different about Miss Olga.

The usually hard blue eyes of the governess were shining with unshed tears. Her stoic mask seemed to have cracks in it and beams of sorrow were shimmering through. Her body seemed to be trembling ever so slightly, which Ileana thought was strange. She was fairly certain that she had never seen the woman show anything that could be mistaken for emotion.

"Princess…" Miss Olga whispered and a tear actually escaped her eye. She tried to brush it away with a thin finger, but it was quicker than she expected, retreating down her cheek and splashing onto the floor.

Ileana looked at the woman before her as if she did not know what to make of the new creature. _Miss Olga is crying? What does that even mean? How is that even possible?_ And then suddenly, something even stranger happened. Miss Olga closed the distance between them and grabbed Ileana into a powerful hug. The Princess had to fight the urge to push away from her, but she could not hide the tension. Her caretaker failed to notice how stiff the teenage body was, though.

"I was so worried about you. I was not sure what happened to you. I feared the worst," Miss Olga explained in a low voice as she made sure to hold Ileana securely to her.

"I just needed to get away for a little while," Ileana vaguely replied, pulling away from the older woman a little bit. Sure, she was a bit touched that Miss Olga was concerned about her, but it was still strange to be hugged by a woman that had not showed her affection her whole life. Besides, Miss Olga was crushing her sore ribs with the embrace.

"I saw your room…" Miss Olga trailed off. She did not think anything of Ileana backing away from her a little because she was still holding the Princess. She had not been sure what to think when she first saw all of the destruction. She had experienced a fear and devastation that she would not wish on her worst enemy. And making matters worse, she considered that her King might have had something to do with what happened to her charge.

"I did it in a fit of rage," Ileana stated plainly, glancing around the room one more time herself. She had done quite a number on the area, but she could not bring herself to care.

"Oh." The one word sounded so profound, even though it did not convey anything within it. "I know it might sound silly, but I actually thought that your dog might have kidnapped you, but it is such a ridiculous thought. I mean, unless her ghost could come back for you," the adult remarked with a forced chuckle. She did not bother to share some of her scarier thoughts, like the King's guests might have managed to get to the Princess and could have done something to her. She knew that the King would not want to hear such "nonsense." Part of her even feared that the King himself might have had a hand in foul play surrounding Ileana. Heaven knew he did not think much of the Princess.

Ileana's eyes went wide for a moment. "My father told you that he had my dearest Rose beheaded?"

"Not his words, but the news has reached my ears. I was also told that he visited with you and all sorts of loud noises could be heard coming from your room after he departed. I was not allowed in before or after the shouting was heard, but when I could come in, I did so immediately. When I was told about the argument the destruction made some sense. It was then that I reasoned, you did this mess, knowing how your temper can flare," Miss Olga informed the teen, looking right into expressive hazel eyes, trying to connect to the Princess.

"I did. I was so upset…" Ileana trailed off, not wanting to mention that she had been so angry that she attacked her father. She had wanted to rip him apart with her bare hands then. Even now she felt a boiling rage directed toward him, even though she knew that Rose was still alive. He was such a monster, though!

"I thought as much. I know there is a lot of passion hidden underneath that regal exterior," Miss Olga quipped, smiling softly, scaring Ileana just a little.

"If you were in here to see the mess…to know that I was gone…" Ileana swallowed hard, trying to keep her breathing even. She kept a calm mask, but her eyes betrayed her.

"I did not tell your father," Miss Olga assured her and Ileana was able to breathe at those words.

"Thank you…" Ileana sighed in relief as her heart eased into its usual rhythm. She supposed that it was also Miss Olga that kept the other servants out of her room to make sure that they did not know that she was gone.

"Despite what you might think, Princess, I am here to take care of you. I will do what I must— _anything_ I must—to take care of you. I know how angry your father is with you and I really do not want to subject you to his wrath at the moment," the older woman explained, some concern and even a little nervousness seeping into her voice. Her eyes told an odd tale to the Princess, as if promising that she was and would always be on Ileana's side.

"Do you know why…why he had Rose executed?" Ileana asked curiously. She figured this could be a test to see just how loyal Miss Olga was to her and how much Miss Olga did care about her wellbeing.

"Because of what happened when she attacked his guest, Garrick," Miss Olga answered.

Ileana nodded, taking in how sincere her governess sounded. Had her father not included Miss Olga in the information that he took such pleasure in delivering to her? She wondered if her father did not trust Miss Olga, which seemed to be the right move considering Miss Olga was withholding information from him. Her father's distrust almost made her want to trust Miss Olga completely, but she was not quite ready to do that. Ileana decided not to think too much on that right now.

"Now, let me have a look at you," Miss Olga stated, emotions now going back under lock and key. She stood straight and her eyes cleared for the most part, but the emotion seemed to remain somewhat.

Miss Olga finally let the Princess go and backed away in order to inspect her charge. She saw the scratches on Ileana's body; the fresh ones and also the ones from her initial escape. She took in the torn and dirty clothing, not to mention the Princess' dirt-matted hair and face smeared with dust and soil. Her hair was stuck to the sides of her face due to sweat.

"You appear to have gone through a trial, Princess. I will have a bath drawn for you and take care of these wounds. Are you hungry?" Miss Olga asked, even though she could guess the answer to that.

"Very much so," Ileana answered honestly. All she had to eat in the past who-knew-how-long were the fruits that Rose provided her with. "Miss Olga…how long have I been gone?" she asked curiously.

Miss Olga thought about it for a moment. "I would say four days."

Ileana nodded; that sounded about right to her and to her empty stomach. She sat still for Miss Olga to take care of her scratches, putting on some stinging, light balm to make sure marks would not mar her skin when the scratches healed. She also took note of the Princess' ankle.

"Oh, my. How did your ankle end up like this?" Miss Olga inquired with some concern sneaking into her controlled voice. The joint was so purple that it was nearly black and swollen almost to the size of a small fist.

"I tripped while I was out. I suppose I am not as graceful as I pretend to be," Ileana remarked with a small giggle.

Miss Olga shook her head, the motion seemed scolding, which Ileana was used to. "I am going to have to treat this with balms and a wrap…and when you take a bath you will have to keep your ankle out of the water."

Ileana nodded to show that she understood. She let Miss Olga take care of her ankle, rubbing it with several ointments, and then wrapping it tightly. After she was done with that work, Ileana was left to go take her bath.

Servants came from all directions, removing Ileana's tattered clothing. She was scrubbed thoroughly before going to the bath. As the servants cleaned her body, they suddenly stopped as they were washing her back. She turned to them and noticed that they appeared puzzled.

"Is something wrong?" Ileana asked curiously.

"There is a mark…" one of the woman answered.

"A mark? Where and of what?" the Princess inquired.

"I am not sure how to explain it, milady. Do you know how you came upon such a mark? It appears to be tattoo," the servant replied.

Ileana shrugged. "I have never been tattooed, so I do not know what you mean. There should not be a mark there. Perhaps it is just a scar."

The servants accepted that explanation and then continued on with their duties. Ileana figured that it probably was just a scar; she was covered in marks, after all. So, she dismissed that from her mind and just thought about how nice it would be to sink into the bath. She sighed deeply when she hit the hot water of her large, ground level bathtub. She did not know what the servants put in the water that made it smell so sweet and soothing, but also made it thick for water. Still, it eased every nerve in her body. The only thing missing was Rose.

 _Please…still be alive_ , Ileana silently prayed, closing her eyes as she sank deeper into the water.

-8-8-8-8-

Rose knew that she should be leaving the battlefield, but she did not know where to go. Instead, she stood on a small hill, looking down on the people that had embraced her as their "pack." Why they chose that term, she did not know. To her, it just made them sound like the dogs the humans liked to label them. Hell, a lot of what she saw in them made them seem like the dogs humans labeled them as, but now was not the time to ponder such things. She shook those thoughts away as she tried to figure her next move.

No ideas came to mind as to where she should go, so Rose turned her golden eyes to her right arm. The limb seemed eager on its own, wanting action without her say so. The thick onyx lines cutting across her milky flesh flickered and popped with small flames, as if matches were being lit just underneath her skin. It was fascinating, she noted as she got lost in the activity for a few moments.

"Well, no use procrastinating. I might as well just pick a direction and start walking," Rose told herself.

She spun around three times and ended up facing her left. Well, it was as good as any other direction. It might even hold a future for her, she considered. It would be nice to have a future, she thought as she started walking.

" _Wait!_ " a familiar, though weak voice called out.

Rose's hand flexed and her claws slid out as she did an about-face as quickly as possible. She scanned the fallen bodies to find who was calling for her and she spotted Mei, slowly climbing to her feet. Rose tensed and a path of fire raced from her middle knuckle, disappearing into her shirt sleeve, following the ebony line going up her arm. Her golden eyes focused on Mei, trying to assess where she needed to hit the much taller female now to make sure she did not get back up.

" _Calm down_ ," Mei implored her as she managed to stand to her proper height. She clutched her lower side, trying to ignore a throbbing pain ringing in her ribs that shot through every inch of her body. She knew that she would not be able to stand for long.

" _What do you want now?_ " Rose demanded, body still tense, even though it was clear that Mei was hardly a threat.

" _How can you just leave after all of this?_ " Mei inquired, trying to move closer to the small daijinn. She dragged her leg behind her as she tried to walk, but she did not go far.

" _Don't come any closer_ ," Rose commanded. She had no desire to hurt anyone else, but she was still the only thing keeping the pack from going to get Ileana. She had hoped that they would all remain unconscious for just a little while longer, giving her a chance to escape too.

" _Where are you going?_ " Mei asked, now standing still. She hunched over from intense pain and found that her legs were so sore that they were barely supporting her. Standing up had not helped the feeling in her legs, either. Her knees were begging for her to sit down, but she ignored them, hoping that she would not collapse until she finished what she needed to say.

" _I'm leaving obviously_ ," Rose answered.

" _Why?_ " Mei questioned her with a puzzled expression dominating her face. She wondered if "Human" really had no clue how the pack dynamic worked; it was the only way to explain why the little daijinn was planning to leave now.

" _Uh…because I figured I wouldn't be wanted around here?_ " Rose thought it was obvious why she should leave, but really the look on Mei's face was confusing her.

Mei smiled and shook her head. " _Little one, you really have no clue how things work, do you? You just beat our leader, the alpha. Do you know what that means?_ "

" _Uh…You hate me and want to kill me?_ " the smaller female guessed with an arched eyebrow. Her face twisted more and more as Mei chuckled as if she told a good joke.

Chocolate and golden hair shifted as Mei shook her head. " _You defended what was yours. I can't hate you for that. You showed us your strength, and none of us can hate you for that. You took down our leader, the alpha. We bow down to you for that_."

" _Bow down?_ " Rose echoed, mind trying to gather what she was being told. _What is Mei going on about?_

The tall woman laughed before biting back a wince since the movement was hurting her sore ribs. " _You are too adorable. You just beat our leader; way back, Alpha earned the position by showing that he is physically stronger than all of us. You just proved that you're the strongest of us all. Guess what that makes you?_ "

" _Mei, look, I'm a pretty stupid creature. I don't understand much. I need you to tell me what the hell you're talking about or I'm just going to leave_ ," Rose replied with a huff. She had an idea of what Mei was saying, but she refused to believe it. It just did not make any sense to her. _Why would they want an idiot like me to be the leader of their pack?_

The half-blonde dragged her leg as she started to walk to Rose again. The smaller teen remained on guard, but she saw that Mei was too hurt to really injure her. Mei stood before Rose and smiled down at her. She put her hand on Rose's left shoulder.

" _You're our leader now, little one. It's just that simple_ ," Mei answered, pride sneaking into her voice. Her dark amber eyes twinkled as she continued to smile.

" _I can't lead. Do you know what I've done with my life up to this moment? Get hit and follow people. That's it. So, I'm just going to go and you guys can keep following Alpha_ ," Rose argued, pointing behind her, as if that was the direction that she planned to go in.

" _That's not how it works. You beat Alpha, so now you are_ the _alpha_ ," Mei stated soundly.

" _That's so stupid…_ " Rose muttered, shaking her head. She did not know anything about leading a group of people and she was pretty sure that she was not a good candidate for the job. Besides, she had just beaten everybody up. They should hate her! _Who wants to follow the person that beat them up?_

" _That's how it works, shorty. Wait for them to wake up and you'll find out the truth if you don't believe me. Not like we're in any shape to take you again anyway_ ," Mei pointed out with a slight chuckle that morphed into a long cough.

" _All the more reason for me to leave. I beat you guys up_ ," Rose countered, motioning to all of the prone figures littering the forest floor.

" _You are really just too adorable. We're not going to hold that against you… Well, most of us won't anyway. There's always going to be people that want to move up in rank and that want to be the alpha. Human, we took you into this pack and you're in until we kick you out. Right now, you're not being kicked out. You just moved up in rank. Don't leave_ ," Mei implored the smaller female, eyes wide and begging.

Broad, pale shoulders slumped as Rose sighed. She could feel her resolve crumbling like a crushed cracker. She wondered why the hell she was such a sucker for big, tearful eyes. Rose's compact form flopped down, sitting in the small patch of grass that was left. Mei fell right into line with that move, happy to be off of her feet.

Rose did not glance at Mei or how close the larger female was to her. Golden eyes focused out on the field while thoughts of fleeing wandered Rose's mind. Those thoughts were not allowed to occupy her brain for long because of a distraction. She was surprised to feel calloused fingers tracing the marks on her arm, which had finally cooled down.

" _How did you get these lines?_ " Mei asked curiously. Naked, intense fascination lined her eyes.

Rose shrugged. " _I don't know. They just appeared one day. I noticed a lot of you guys have them too. Why didn't you use your fire?_ "

Mei giggled a bit and shook her head despite all of the pain coursing through her because of those actions. " _You have been truly blessed by the sun goddess, kissed with her love. The marks you've seen on us, those are shadows, imitations. They're just tattoos, wishing to be what you have. We thought you had a tattoo too, but I guess we were wrong. But, then again, we wrong about so much about you. You certainly aren't a runt and you truly are special_ ," she stated with a delighted smile.

Rose shook her head. She never felt special and the lines on her arm did not change that. She turned her eyes toward her arm, mentally tracing the thick onyx lines marring her flesh. She decided to consider herself blessed, though she was not sure which god to thank. She did not think she was blessed because of those powers on their own, but because the fire had allowed her to save her best friend, yet again. She was thankful for the ability if nothing else.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana was glad to be in new, clean clothes. She felt like a new woman, but not entirely good about herself. Life had changed and she did not think it had changed for the better. Still, she was going to live and overcome whatever life threw at her because that was what Rose would have wanted. Besides, one day, she was certain that she would see Rose again. She just had to make it to that day.

"Miss Olga, is my father's guest still in the palace?" Ileana asked curiously, going to sit at her desk. Her room had been straightened out while she was being tended to by servants. She knew that Miss Olga had had the place cleaned; she could only wonder what excuse the governess had given to explain the mess.

"He is," Miss Olga answered in a clipped tone. Her jaw tensed and her eyes flashed for a moment.

"You do not like that man, do you?" Ileana asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Let us just say that I would not have lamented had your dog managed to rip his chest open. A man like that only knows how to take things that he wants, probably with more blood shed than necessary too. He should not be associating with the royal household," Miss Olga stated as if her word was law.

"Then why is my father doing business with him?" the Princess inquired with an arched eyebrow.

The older woman sighed and tried to weigh her words before speaking. "Your father…he is an ambitious man. He wants things and Garrick can provide them rapidly," she answered nonchalantly.

"Conquered lands?" Ileana guessed. Her father had always seemed to look out into the distance and whisper about how soon it would all be his, as if he was worthy owning the world.

"Wealth and status," Miss Olga added in a clipped tone. She seemed to hold the similar feelings as the Princess in regards to the King reaching out beyond himself and his kingdom.

"All the while neglecting the land he already has," the Princess muttered, shaking her head in a disapproving manner.

"Watch it, child. Your father is a decent king. He might rule harshly at times, but our country is still independent and we never have to worry about roaming bandits at the city gates and barbarians at our borders," Miss Olga pointed out, but her voice did not sound as strong as it would have in the past.

"No, instead my father invites them into our home, but who am I to judge? As Father would say, I am but a girl," Ileana sneered, dismissing the matter with a flick of her wrist. She then stood up from her seat. "Miss Olga, if you do not mind, I would like to be left alone to have a nap before dinner."

Miss Olga nodded to show that she understood and she left the room, so Ileana was now alone. The Princess sighed and looked at her bed; it certainly would be nice to just crawl in and fall asleep. But, she had something else that she wanted to do. She felt like it was something that she _needed_ to do.

She went to a secret panel in her wall to get to another one of the many hidden hallways. She had to knock out the boarding in order to get through, but that was the easy part in her opinion. She made her way to the bowels of the palace, feeling the humidity of her destination hit her long before she arrived. She doubted that she could ever understand how the chefs were able to stay in the kitchen all day long. She could barely stand being down there for a half-hour, even when Rose was down there. The air just seemed like a vice on her lungs and the heat was so uncomfortable.

She took a deep breath as she sought out Fry, knowing exactly where the cook was. She could also guess the reaction that the chef would give her. Fry was rather fearless for a slave, Ileana noted a long time ago, and the fact that she was the princess meant nothing to Fry.

"What you do here?" Fry demanded to know as Ileana stood behind her. She did not bother to turn around. She undoubtedly knew what happened in the past few weeks, having to see the empty space by her side all day, everyday.

"I was coming to check on you. I want to be sure you are all right—" Ileana tried to explain, but stopped suddenly as Fry turned around quickly, brandishing a knife in her right hand. Ileana gulped.

"You check on me? Why? You already took from me one thing I had! She gone!" Fry struck…thankfully, with the left hand.

Ileana felt the sting of the back of Fry's hand on her cheek. She hissed as her head snapped to the side and her jaw tensed. The chocolate cheek instantly hummed with pain. She ground her teeth together for a moment while most of the kitchen staff looked on, not sure what to expect.

For the first time, the kitchen was quiet enough for them to hear a feather hit the floor. It was then that they all learned that Fry's slap had an echo because they were all certain that they could hear it, bouncing off of the walls of the kitchen and settling back in their ears. Hard sliver eyes glared at the Princess.

"You take ya pleasure and cost her everything. Hope you happy," Fry hissed as angry, hot tears seared down her face.

Ileana could not say anything in her defense. She just allowed Fry her anger and let the rage be directed toward her. After all, Rose being gone was her fault, in her opinion anyway. She retreated after the hit, leaving the kitchen, barely allowing Fry's words to sink in beyond the fact that Rose being gone was her fault. Fry glared at the Princess until she was out of sight.

"Damn selfish…" Fry bit back those words. "Damn fool child."

-8-8-8-8-

Rose scratched the side of her face, which was twisted into quite the perplexed expression. Her forehead was wrinkled as she tried to take in what was going on. She squinted as she looked down at all of the people that she had beaten up. Most of them were conscious now and staring at her with expectant eyes. She was still sitting on the small hill with Mei right next to her, looking quite smug.

" _So…I'm really in charge?_ " Rose asked just to be sure as she rubbed her forehead, like that would help her take it all in. Nothing was going to stop her mind from reeling, though.

" _They would have tried to kill you by now if you weren't. So, what's say we go home?_ " Mei suggested. She was looking forward to lying down for few days, after putting some balm on her many wounds.

" _I don't know about this. I can't lead. I'm not smart enough to do this. I'm barely grown. Hell, I don't even know how old I am_ ," Rose admitted, pulling her hand away from her head. She was no leader. Ileana was a leader. She was the daughter of a king, after all! And Ileana was really smart. Ileana would know what to do, but Ileana was not there.

" _All excuses, my dear. You'll do fine and I am here to help you_ ," Mei offered with a small, bur friendly smile.

Rose arched a skeptical eyebrow. " _You are?_ "

" _I know I was hard on you before, but I merely treated you as your station dictates. I actually like you quite a bit. You are adorable, after all. You are also my alpha. Here, stand with me_ ," Mei requested/ordered as she started to climb to her feet, body protesting all the way up.

Rose followed Mei and stood up. The eyes of those who were conscious followed right along with Rose. Mei took Rose's hand and held her arm up, almost lifting Rose off of the ground.

" _Our new alpha, blessed by the tears of the sun goddess, Xol!_ " Mei announced.

Rose looked out into the crowd, waiting to hear something from them. She tensed as she saw Kwen rise and approach. She tried to wiggle away from Mei, who just smiled down at her. Rose growled as Kwen stood before her.

" _An alpha needs a proper name and daijinn always have powerful leaders with powerful names. Since it's obvious the goddess favors you, you should be Xol_ ," Kwen said, smiling himself and he grabbed a hold of Rose's other arm to hold her up. " _Everybody, this is our Xol!_ " he informed the crowd.

Rose blinked hard, surprised that Kwen of all people would be ready to follow her. Not just follow her, but rename her to show that she was now in charge of the pack. And what a name he picked. He chose to give her the name of the sun goddess, the most powerful deity in daijinn beliefs. If the pack was willing to call her that, she knew that they truly did think of her as their leader.

" _Lead us well, Xol_ ," Yu said, smiling a bit himself. He silently admitted that he had a good feeling about her. Others must have felt the same because they cheered for her.

-8-8-8-8-

Ileana had one last round to make before she could bed down for the night. She had taken her dinner in her bedroom without any company at all, not even servants milling about her. She was fine with that, not wanting much contact, except for one person.

She emerged from a secret hallway into a dark room. She knew the room by heart, so she did not need any light. She navigated the place with ease and made her way to the large bed in the middle of the room. She sat down and turned her eyes to the body lying in the bed.

"Illie?" the sweet voice of her little brother called out.

"Hey, did I wake you up?" Ileana asked curiously as he moved closer to her.

"No. I am glad you came here. I missed you. Father said I could not see you and you have not visited me," the child pointed out, cuddling into her side. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I am so sorry that I have not seen you in a few days, sweet boy. I was sad for a few days," she explained in a low voice.

"Because of Rosie?" he inquired in his naturally small voice.

Ileana looked down at him, not able to make out much of his form since he was hidden behind a stream of onyx hair. "You know what happened to Rose?"

"Father spoke about it with his guest. I was there. He spoke of Rosie being dead. How can that be? What did he mean?" the child begged to know. Of course, he knew what it meant to die, but he could not fathom someone so close to him being dead. His mind was trying to tell him that Rose could not be dead or that "dead" in this regard meant something else.

She rubbed his shoulder as she tried to think of a way to tell him to make things less upsetting for him. She knew that she could not tell him the truth, not because she did not trust him, but because he was just a child. He could tell the secret by accident and she did not want to put him in that position.

"It means that Rose is not going to be coming back to us, sweet boy," Ileana answered and she leaned down to kiss his head as he tensed up.

"Where did she go then?" he asked as he pressed himself further into his sister. Surely being close to her would allow him to understand just how it was possible for Rose to die. Old people died, and Rose was far from old. Sick people died, and Rose was the picture of health. So, how was it possible for Rose to die? Dying had to mean something else.

"To the heavens, with the stars that you love so much," she replied as if it was obvious. She knew that she got a smile out of him at that.

"Oh, that's good. Rosie likes the stars too. Remember she took me out to look at them a lot?" The smile remained on his face. It was good to know that Rose was not really dead, but with the stars, he thought.

"I know. I was there," Ileana stated with a laugh. She was the one that had to tell them the names of the stars while they gazed in awe. She wished that they had done that more often now, wished that Rose had gotten to spend more time with Viktor. He seemed to love her dearly and she seemed to love him as well.

"I miss Rosie," he whispered with a yawn. He was starting to fade.

"I do too," she replied in a hushed tone. She brushed his thick hair and his eyes drifted closed.

"Stay…" he implored her in such a low voice that she barely heard him.

"Of course." She leaned down and kissed the top of his head once more. Feeling him fall asleep against her told her that coming back home was the right thing to do. Rose made her do the right thing. Still, she was going to miss her best friend.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: see the girls a few years from now.


	25. Part III  24: Reflection

[Xol](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree/art/Xol-423086995) by [SaintBree](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree). Please leave comments on the artist's [deviantart page](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree).

Part III

24: Reflection

Mei stood in the doorway of the small, dark workout room. She figured that she was unnoticed since she was being so silent and the object of her attention seemed intently focused on other matters. Of course, her subject was often attentive when it seemed like she was occupied. It was quite possible that Mei was being eyed too. In fact, she would bet that she was being studied. She would have won that bet.

Still, Mei remained quiet in the doorway. Her brown and blonde hair was longer than it once was, decorated with a few beads and shells. Her appearance was much less scruffy with her hair groomed, combed straight back and glistening from good care. Her mocha skin was clean and seemed to glow. Her clothing was rich cotton, colored dark blues and deep reds, and lined with beautiful golden stitching. Her midnight blue pants flowed down her long legs and fell to bare feet. A crimson short sleeve shirt covered her torso and a midnight blue jacket fell to her waist to complete the outfit. Everything new and improved about her could be credited to the object of her attention.

She watched the sole occupant there, the tiny, muscular body fight against the shadows, enemies that only the fighter could see. She focused her eyes on black lines, crisscrossing and twisting, up that right hand onto the arm, snaking up the shoulder to the neck. A sleeveless, plain white shirt covered where the lines went on her back.

The onyx lines were not the only interesting things about the small body. The form was almost stocky, but muscles lined every inch on display—and areas that were hidden, too. The pale figure was clearly powerful; even the way she stood now screamed power and confidence. Mei could not figure out why those things never seemed to manifest themselves consciously with the subject of her entertainment.

"Xol, how about you call it a day?" Mei suggested, speaking in the language she was sure that her leader was more comfortable with.

Xol turned around slowly to face the person questioning her, dropping her hands to her side as she moved. Her body relaxed as she faced Mei, but her muscles were still quite pronounced. Golden eyes, sharp and alert as always, locked on Mei while a wrapped hand pushed short, shoulder length black and red hair from her face. Her mane dripped with sweat, as did her face, thanks to her workout.

"Something happen?" Xol inquired with a raised eyebrow as she pushed her hair back a second time. Her hand knocked against her ear that time; the ear was studded with three jeweled earrings.

A snort came before a verbal response. "Why do you always assume something happens when I come to get you out of this hole? Right now, something has happened, though. Kwen has returned with the payment."

"Is Yu there?" Xol asked as she started to roll her wrists and neck, hoping to avoid getting stiff.

"He is," the much taller female confirmed with a slight nod.

"Then what do you need me for?" Xol inquired with a scrunched up face.

Mei chuckled. "Stop being so modest. It's sickening for someone so perfect. Besides, you need to figure out what we're going do to with it. I've got the books out and everything for us to get to work."

Xol nodded to show that she understood and she walked off with Mei. Mei looked down at her leader and smiled proudly. She was always amazed that such a small, silent body housed an incredible spirit; a soul that had to have been touched by the gods themselves and obviously loved by the sun goddess. She put her hand out, planning to pet her leader's head until golden eyes looked up at her. She grinned, her usual toothy smile, and pulled her hand back.

"I can't help it that you're so adorable!" Mei defended herself because of the glare that Xol was giving her. She loved petting their leader! Of course, she tried her best to only do it in private, but Xol usually put a halt to even that with the stare that she was giving Mei at the moment.

The small, pale female continued to glare at Mei, who took it all in stride. The glare was only going to delay the inevitable. Still, Xol preferred the delay than the possibility of being caressed like a pet bunny every few minutes. It was nice to be able to stop something that she did not desire to happen. This was a privilege that she had gotten very used to, even if Mei still eventually would pet her.

The pair strolled through dimly lit corridors of the rundown villa that they called home now. The walls screamed that they were in need of care; the grey stones were cracked and there were vines creeping through. There were bits of paint left, hinting that the place was once a nice, light blue. The halls were quiet, even the sounds of their bare feet hitting the stone walkway did not register. Mei could not help frowning as she looked around the place as they strolled.

For a brief moment, Mei's frown left her as they turned out of the hall and came into a courtyard. The yard was lush and green, dancing with life as birds nested and darted around as flower beds bloomed under the gentle care of the sun. Mei snorted when she turned her eyes to a fountain at the center of the yard. It was dead compared to everything else, having fallen into disrepair long before they arrived.

"One day, we really need to finish fixing this place up. I mean, it's your home. We need to take some pride in it, right?" Mei stated, motioning around the garden with one hand. She had overseen the care of the plants, but they still needed to work on the stones and other things to make the place fit for their very effective leader.

Xol shrugged; she did not care one way or the other about how the place looked. Mei sighed and shook her head. _Heaven help us all the day that Xol decided that she cared about some personal issue_ , Mei thought. She was glad that Xol was not so detected from her job or the pack would have died out years ago. On the contrary, Xol seemed to only care about the state of the pack and doing what was best for it, including staying in top shape, so no one could take her position from her.

They made it through the courtyard and went into another room of the rundown villa. Xol went to the sole chair in the room, tossing her small body into the massive seat made of animal bones and covered in furs, appearing to be a huge throne. There was a wooden table in front of the chair and for a moment Xol considered leaning on it, but she sat back in the chair instead. The chair appeared as if it was swallowing the petite woman.

Mei remained at the door for a moment, calling out to a group, and then she went and stood by Xol. The taller warrior looked like a sentry, standing guard over Xol. The idea was laughable to Mei and whenever she did think of it, she giggled. She glanced down at the petite alpha and could not help laughing just from the sight. Xol looked like a child sitting in her father's favorite chair.

"When are you going to grow? It's been four years already," Mei teased, reaching down to pet Xol, which earned her an intense glare before the hand was able to reach her head.

Mei made a mocking face at Xol, but straightened up as Kwen entered the room with a large chest in his hands. Kwen was still the same mountain of young man as he was, but, like Mei, he had undergone some transformations. Mei liked to point out that his smell drastically improved, which was very true. His skin and hair held a healthy shine to it. He did not take much advantage in their diverse choice in clothing, wearing animal-skinned leggings only.

Yu came in behind his partner-in-crime. Yu, like everyone else, had a healthy glow to him and had lost his scraggly look that he was certain came from living in a dark cave. His body was a bit thicker thanks to better food and more portions. His hair had grown, down to his shoulders now. He wore it hanging free, like all members of the pack did. He was dressed in a mixture of daijinn traditional clothing and human clothing, which consisted of animal-skinned leggings over midnight blue pants. A long, flowing jacket with white star designs covered his shoulders and his sleeveless shirt was a thin animal skin.

" _Anything to report?_ " Xol asked Kwen, looking over the chest that he dropped on the table in front of her. She spoke the daijinn language to him because Kwen was firmly against learning any human language. He was trying to forget the little bit of human language that he did know.

Kwen shrugged. " _Nothing much. We did the job, got the payment, came back. You might want to know about rumors of this growing army that's been harassing towns and villages just beyond the border_."

" _Why would I want to know about that? Have they hired us?_ " Xol inquired, leaning forward onto the table, resting her chin in her hand.

" _Well, no. I know you have an interest in humans, though_ ," he pointed out as a teasing, half-smile graced his smooth features.

The disinterested look never left Xol's face as she rolled her eyes. She focused her attention on the trunk in front of her. She pushed herself forward, ready to open it, but Mei acted first when she saw what Xol was planning to do. Mei popped the chest open and the group got a good look at all of the treasure inside. Mei then closed the box again while Yu grabbed a chair from the corner that he quickly pulled up to the table. Yu and Xol locked eyes, but they did not get a chance to speak.

" _You really don't care that there's bandits out there destroying these villages? I mean, you were the one that were all for us not robbing humans anymore, making us actually buy and trade crap from them now_ ," Kwen pointed out, rolling his eyes at the end and sounding somewhat upset by the fact that they were fairly dealing with humans.

" _Kwen, right now, I have to worry about a growing population of daijinn in our own little community, so, no, I don't care about the humans unless they're paying us in some form or another for services rendered. If you're so interested, you can go help them out_ ," Xol answered, sounding quite bored and disinterested.

Kwen snorted as if she deeply insulted him. " _I don't give a damn about humans, short stuff. If you need me to kick some ass somewhere, I'm going to be down by the falls_ ," he informed anyone that cared.

Xol waved him off, dismissing him. The large male stepped out of the room, but paused from leaving the villa just to take in the sight. It looked exactly the same from when they found the place, which was close to four years ago. Every time he went out on an assignment, he thought that he would come back to find it in better shape, secretly hoping that one of the pack members got ambitious and sought to show some appreciation toward Xol. Obviously, that had yet to happen and he doubted that Xol would ever get around to letting someone fix up her home, which she shared with him, Mei, Yu, and a few others in her close circle of advisers and guards. At least Mei took some steps to making the places look a little better; unfortunately, it was hard to notice surrounded by so much decay.

He never said so out loud, but it bothered him that no one bothered with the villa. He knew if the old alpha had lived there, he would have ordered everyone to make sure the place looked grand and declared to the world that a great leader lived within. Xol was nothing like that, though. She had not even thought to live in the villa when they first arrived. Yu and Mei had to drag her inside and force her to take a room fit for a leader.

Kwen moved on and allowed his thoughts to wander back to four years ago, when Xol became alpha of their pack. He could not believe such a shrimp—even now he had a habit of giving her less than flattering nicknames usually referring to her height—turned out to be quite the leader. She was very unorthodox, but no one could doubt that she cared and was intent on doing a good job. He did like to argue with her about a lot of her decisions, though.

One of her first acts as leader was one he argued with her to the point that everyone around thought that they were going to have a fist fight. She had proposed that they leave the safety of their cave home and that they look for some place more suitable for a community of people. He did not know what was on her mind, but he thought that she was insane for saying such and called her that, along with many other names, right to her face with the whole pack around. She never did explain herself and just left on a journey with the pack following her like lost puppies. As time past and she had just continued to walk, resentment grew and heated words became more common, especially from Kwen. It got to the point where there were challenges for her alpha position daily, yet she never gave up, even though it did get on her nerves to fight every day over something that she thought was obvious. They were not meant to live in a dark, humid cave like rats; they needed open spaces and sunlight.

Never once did she tell them to follow her, but she continued on and they just followed behind her. She found a place that she knew a community would be able to thrive. Some place with sunlight and fresh air. Some place where children could run around and play without fear that humans might hear them. Some place where their pack could be a village. They were now a growing, healthy village.

" _And it's thanks to that insane runt_ ," Kwen muttered to himself, shaking his head.

They lived on an island that was in the middle of a large lake. Xol always said that she found it by accident, but many, including Kwen, believed something divine led her to the body of water with their perfect home nestled safely in the middle of it. She was so obvioulsy blessed by the sun goddess, well beyond the divine fire she wielded. It was that belief and fear of that power that kept much of the pack in line. Still, they did not show much appreciate for Xol despite the good she did for them and despite the fact that she was loved by the sun goddess. Kwen wondered what would it take for the pack to realize how lucky they were to have someone favored by the great goddess leading them.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol was lying on the table in front of her chair, sleeping from what Mei and Yu could tell. They smiled a little while Mei liberated a scroll from underneath Xol's arm. She neatly rolled up the document and handed it to Yu.

"Is it done?" Yu asked curiously.

"Of course. She works hard and never falls asleep until the job is done. I have to say, I think she might have been the best thing to happen to us," Mei answered.

"Well, she has been off to a good start, though they have been weird starts. I mean, the move and then the idea of hiring ourselves out to humans to make money and get goods. It sounds so insane," Yu muttered, shaking his head. Just thinking about it even now seemed crazy to him.

Yu, as well as most of the others, had been hard to convince when Xol proposed that they should hire themselves out to humans. Everyone took that as going back to slavery, and just like whenever Xol brought up a new idea years ago, everyone fought her on it. They preferred stealing from humans, taking it as some form of revenge that Xol could not understand. Ugly things were said and challenges were made, with Xol winning as usual.

"It keeps us in better shape then stealing from the humans ever did. How she knew such a service would be necessary, I don't know," Mei commented.

Mei's words were true, but they would not have been acknowledged as such when the pack first started out as hired hands, doing anything from mercenary work to heavy lifting on farms in order to gain money, food, and other necessary items. At first, it seemed so crazy because they were sure that humans would never hire them or the humans would try to enslave them again or the humans would try to rip them off. Yes, there were a couple attempts at each, but their leader was able to handle those things. Xol made sure everything ran smoothly. It was clear after their first few jobs that it would be much better for them to do as Xol said rather than continue their tradition of stealing from humans. They just seemed to get more of everything doing it Xol's way. Now, they lived well and with luxuries that they would not have even been able to imagine four years ago.

"Well, she is Xol. Maybe the goddess whispers in her ears," Yu remarked with laugh.

Mei chuckled a bit, even though she would not be surprised if that really was the case. Something or someone seemed to touch Xol and help her make all of the right moves. Little did they know, but much of Xol's decision making came from her experiences with humans, thinking about how Ileana would do something or how King Vladimire would do something. She usually did the opposite of what she thought Vladimire would do. She also used what she saw in the city streets to figure out how to get the things that her pack needed, knowing that humans often needed protection from each other or help because many humans did not have nearly as much strength as they needed to get things done.

Of course, loyal followers in the pack felt like Xol was just a natural born leader. She could reason with people very well, always keeping a calm and collected demeanor. She instinctively knew when negotiations would not work and just how much force she needed to use. She always did what was best for the village and never let all of the arguing get in the way of her vision.

Mei gathered the dozing Xol into her arms. She knew that would wake the leader up almost immediately; Xol never slept too deeply, if she slept at all. As expected, Xol stirred as soon as she was lifted from her chair.

"The hell?" Xol asked in a groggy tone, looking around the room on high alert.

"Hey, chief, those are not the words a leader should be using. Stop spending so much time with Kwen. He's a bad influence on you," Mei teased as she eased Xol down onto the floor.

"I fell asleep?" Xol inquired with a scrunched up face as she ran her hand through her wild hair.

"Of course you did. You've been sitting at the desk all day trying to figure out what provisions everybody needs and making sure everyone gets their proper rations. Take a breather, boss. Despite the name, I don't think you're immortal and you shouldn't run yourself ragged. Go to bed and get some sleep. If you want, we could send Ro to you," Yu suggested, a small smile gracing his strong features.

"No, leave Ro. She's got lookout duty tonight. Just make sure you check my work to make sure it's right and take a team with you tomorrow to take care of that list," Xol ordered before stumbling out of the room.

Yu continued to smile and shake his head. "I'm still amazed by her."

"I know what you mean. She learned so quickly how to be a good leader and even the few times she screwed up, it was hard to notice. Well, let's finish our work, so we can stagger around like that too," Mei suggested with a devilish smile on her face. He seemed to catch her meaning because his smile transformed into an impish smirk.

-8-8-8-8-

"Has anybody seen my sister?" a groan came from a small body that was sitting on King Vladimir's throne. There was a table set up in front of the throne and the table was littered with paper. Long black hair streamed out over the off-white documents, ebony locks dropping off all sides of the desk.

"She is trying to handle the finances, your Highness. You really should try to do this on your own, sire. She is merely a woman, after all," a servant pointed out in a clipped tone.

Furious brown eyes shot up, glaring icy daggers at the servant. The only time the boy could glare was when his sister was slighted. "My sister is a _brilliant_ woman! She would make a far better ruler than I would, but because of idiots like you, she is not even being afforded the chance. Lord knows I'm too young for this," he muttered that last part.

"You are doing fine, sire. You are your father's son, Prince Viktor. You are doing fine," the servant tried to assure the boy, hoping to appease him.

Viktor rolled his eyes, being able to identify lip-service quite well thanks to his new vocation. A vocation that he was sure that he was too young for considering the fact that he had not even turned twelve yet. There were only so many things slender, eleven-year-old shoulders could carry, he thought. There was also only so much an eleven-year-old mind could handle, even though he sometimes liked to act like he knew everything.

He did know that his thin frame was not made for his father's long cloak, which was draped around his narrow shoulders. He knew that his smaller head was not fit to wear the crown that his father donned every day, quite literally. He knew that he would never be his father, no matter how much he looked like King Vladimir. Yes, they had the same hair and skin tone, but they were totally different people and no member of the royal court seemed to accept that. They kept telling him that because he was his father's son, he could handle it. _Horse pokey!_

"Can somebody please get my sister? I do not know what half of this stuff even means!" Viktor complained, wanting to shove the papers away from him. It just never seemed to end!

None of the servants were quick to move. Viktor growled, knowing that they all disapproved of his dependency on his sister. He knew why they were that way, but he wished that they would just open their eyes and look beyond the fact that she was a woman. They would know that she was just the most fantastic creature ever, in his opinion anyway. She was brilliant and would run things so much better than he could—maybe even better than their father did, he considered.

"Now!" Viktor bellowed at the servants as they did their best impersonations of statues. The bark, so much like his father's, got results. He snorted as they dashed off in all directions to do his bidding.

He sat up to his proper height, which was just under five feet. A royal cape draped on his shoulders shifted and, like he often did, he felt like the heavy cloth was strangling him, or at least biding its time to strangle him. Thankfully, he did not have to wear the crown, or he was sure that he would look like a little kid playing dress up in his father's clothing. Although, that was exactly how he felt at the moment and how he felt every day since his father had fallen ill.

"So much work…" Viktor muttered to himself as he tried to dive back into all of the documents. So many of the words did not make sense to him and no one really liked to explain what they meant, except for his sister. Even his tutors shied away from explaining things to him. It was as if everyone just expected him to know exactly what to do.

The Prince did not make it too far into his work as his sister was announced as she entered the room. He looked up to see his regal sister practically float into the room; he never thought that she walked, the way that she moved, she had to be floating. He often expected to see wings shoot out from her back; it would just explain so much.

 _She is an angel…_ Viktor thought to himself. He could see why so many men wanted her hand in marriage. She was tall and elegant with flawless skin. She was a beauty with a wonderful mind and deep compassion to match. She was perfect. He often felt like a tiny troll next to her, but he did not care because she was his perfect big sister.

"You summoned me, Viktor?" she asked, standing before him. She was not alone, standing behind her was the second most trusted person in her life, Miss Olga.

"Illie, I know I have already asked so much of you, but reports just keep coming in and I am having so much trouble keeping up with them. Most of them, I really have no clue what they mean. Everyone around here just acts like it will all come to me through divine inspiration or I will suddenly start channeling Father's aura in order to know what is going on!" Viktor explained, pulling at his extremely long hair with one hand.

"Calm down, little brother," Ileana said in a soothing tone as she reached out and brushed his hair back. She performed even that simple act with a grace that most ladies would envy.

"What am I supposed to do with all of these reports from Garrick and his men? He wants me to send more of our soldiers out," Viktor said, picking up one paper. He disregarded it to pick up another. "They need more supplies…" He tossed that paper away to pick up another. "They want to divide the territory right outside the country's border…" He was about to get another one, but Ileana held up her hand to halt him.

"It is quite all right, Viktor," Ileana said, getting the picture of her brother's plight quite well.

"Some of these are so old and they were delivered all mixed up and—" He stopped talking as Ileana was on him and took him into a light embrace.

"It is all right. We will get through this. Now, I will help you with this pile," Ileana stated and then she turned to look at Miss Olga. "You can finish up the budget and everything, right?"

"And who was it that taught you how to do it?" Miss Olga countered as if she had been insulted. Four years had done nothing for her appearance, as she still often looked like her mouth was full of pickle juice to Ileana. There were a few lines on her face, but nothing overly pronounced. Her hair was pulled back in its usual blonde bun, but there was a suspicious thin streak of white workings its way through the left side of her golden hair. Her glasses were thicker, but the frames were smaller. There were plenty of changes that could not be seen from the outside, though, and really Ileana was the only person to see those changes. Ileana never would have guessed there was such a complex woman hidden inside of her governess, but she was quite thankful that Miss Olga was so well-rounded and complicated.

Ileana could not help smiling. "Forget I even asked. So, you finish that and I will help Viktor. We can compare damage at dinner?" she proposed.

"One day we need to compare progress at dinner," Miss Olga commented dryly as she turned to return to her work.

Ileana nodded in agreement as she pulled up a chair. She grabbed one half of the pile while leaving the other half to her brother. Viktor visibly brightened, getting a burst of energy from his sister's presence alone, and started going through the documents, reading things, signing things, stamping things with the royal seal, and handing them off to the nearest servant. Everything was running like clockwork until he got to particular lair of documents.

"What the…" Viktor muttered to himself as he quickly skimmed the papers just to be sure they said what he thought it said. They did.

"Everything all right, little brother?" Ileana asked curiously as she caught the perplexed look on her brother's face.

"Huh?" Viktor glanced over and managed to fix his face. "Oh, yeah, everything is fine," he replied and turned his attention back to the papers in his hand. He put them off to the side and found a few others that went with that group as he went back to work.

They finished up with their work after a few hours and then went to have dinner with Miss Olga. They did not bother with looking at the empty chair at the head of the table in the dining hall. It was only recently emptied, but it was already out of mind. They discussed matters of the kingdom, most of which had to do with Garrick and his band of Black Dragons.

"You know, the treasury has grown in the past four years since Garrick has been splitting tributes with the kingdom," Miss Olga said, earning frowns from the siblings.

"Yes, and he only uses most of our army to do it," Viktor stated bitterly.

"And terrorizes our neighbors, forcing them to join our kingdom if they wish to remain alive and not have their villages burned to the ground every other week," Ileana added in, just as cynically.

"It does keep him from terrorizing us," Miss Olga pointed out, hoping that would clear up any heavy emotions hanging in the air. Viktor went rigid for a moment and she caught that, wondering what that meant. She would find out soon enough, but until then the dinner went on as usual for them.

Viktor pulled Miss Olga aside after dinner to talk to her. Ileana walked off, deciding to go finish up some work. Miss Olga wondered what the problem was as she took in the silently panicked look on the boy's face. She was stunned as he started shoving files at her.

"What are these, my Prince?" Miss Olga inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"Father has a spy in with Garrick's men, but he never told anyone. These reports have just been building since he fell ill," Viktor hissed his response, not wanting to speak too loudly for fear that the walls had ears.

"And what is the problem? Has the spy found out that Garrick plans to betray us or something of that nature?" Miss Olga asked, now also whispering more from example than worry. It certainly seemed to be in mercenary's nature to betray them the moment it seemed convenient for him and now was very convenient for him.

"Garrick has learned of Father's illness and knows that he is bedridden. Garrick plans a coup and to make his claim legitimate, he plans to wed Ileana," Viktor answered, now anxiously bouncing on his heels and clutching Miss Olga's around the shoulders in a rather harsh grip.

Miss Olga's head jerked at the sound of that. Her whole body went rigid as her mind tried to process what she had just been told. She swallowed hard and focused her eyes onto the Prince.

"That savage Garrick plans to marry the Princess?" Miss Olga demanded to know through clenched teeth, which helped keep her from shouting. _I'll behead that rat bastard myself before I allow him to touch Princess Ileana or Prince Viktor!_

"He will need to establish a legitimate claim to the throne if his plan of a coup works to keep the people from revolting and destroying the kingdom he wants to steal. He has already turned his band and army around, coming back toward the city. According to the reports, many of our men are now loyal to him after being out on campaign with him for four years, gathering riches and rank with him. They more than likely know that Father is ill too. Ever since Father has gotten sick everything is going crazy. I cannot do his job! I cannot fill this role!" Viktor began hyperventilating and violently tugging at his hair.

Miss Olga pulled Viktor to her in a hug; she had seen it work plenty of times when Ileana did it. Viktor continued to pant, but he stopped tugging at his long, raven locks. She caressed his scalp, which got his breathing to ease. She shook her head a little, wondering how siblings could be so different. Ileana was so take-charge and thrived whenever there seemed to be a problem while Viktor always seemed to buckle under the pressure.

"It is all right, Highness. You are doing a fine job standing in for your father and you have your sister helping you. Now, we have to figure out how to get out of this situation. If you calm down, I know you will be able to come up with something," Miss Olga answered sincerely.

"You sound like Illie now," he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment to just revel in the soothing touch.

"She has faith in you and for good reason. You are capable, if you would only take a moment and breathe rather than fly off into a full panic. I know this was thrown on you so suddenly just a few months ago, but you can do it. Now, you need to take a breath and think," she instructed him in a manner that certainly would have shocked Ileana had she been there to witness it. After all, Miss Olga was not known for being gentle.

Viktor did as he was told, taking a very deep breath. "I will not let that man have my father's kingdom and he definitely will NOT have my sister, especially when I know she thinks that he is a repulsive beast."

"He has done nothing to endear himself to her," Miss Olga remarked.

Viktor nodded in agreement; in fact, he doubted that he had ever seen his sister more disgusted with a person's existence than when she was in Garrick's presence. He had been back to the place a few times for parades in his honor and feasts, always trying to get closer to Ileana. She could not even put on an air of tolerance around him as she did with other people that he was aware bothered her. He would not let her suffer his advances.

Viktor eased away from Miss Olga, taking another breath to clear his head. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing back his free hanging hair. He then stood tall, appearing powerful and determined. He looked Miss Olga directly in the eye.

"I will fix this problem," Viktor vowed.

Miss Olga nodded, believing that Viktor had it in him to do as he said. Now he was starting to look like a member of the royal family. Strong willed and unable to give up, ready to grab the world by the tail. She could only wonder what plan he was going to come up with, though. Garrick more than likely meant business, and she was not totally sure that Viktor would be able to handle such an overwhelming force at such a young age. But, she was going to stand by the Prince and make sure Garrick kept his filthy hands to himself…if he kept his hands at all.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Viktor makes moves to save his sister and his kingdom.


	26. 25: Familiar

25: Familiar

Viktor was sitting on his large bed, rubbing his eyes as he forced himself to stay awake. He was pouring over documents that littered every bit of the mattress, and the wheels in his head were turning so quickly that he felt like his head would fly off his shoulders at any moment. He knew that he did not have much time to come up with something and his mind just was not working as quickly as he needed it to in coming up with a plausible solution to his problem.

"Garrick will be back here soon enough. Should I try to face off against him? Who am I kidding? We should get crushed if he has as many as my father's soldiers as the reports say. Why did Father invite this man into our lives, into our world?" Viktor wondered aloud with a growl.

He knew the answer to that: greed. Money was quite the motivator, making his father lie down with dogs—actual dogs and not that horribly disrespectful term his father used on Rosie or those like Rose—and now the family was about to wake up with fleas. _All for money_ , he thought bitterly. His father practically sold them!

In fact, he was coming across documents and notes that indicated that Garrick did not come up with his latest plan on his own. He had come across bits and pieces of things hinting that his father planned to give Ileana to Garrick as a prize to help convince Garrick to raid places for the country in the first place. _How could he just give Illie away? She is his daughter!_ Now, with his father being incapacitated due to sickness, Garrick was going to go for it all while he had the chance.

"If only I was more like Father. If only I knew how to rally soldiers as he does. God, even if I were just more like Illie. She has a force about her that makes people do her bidding. People just look at me like I am insane when I tell them to do something," he muttered to himself.

Viktor shook his head, trying to expel the doubt from his mind. He knew and reminded himself that it was not time for one of his many pity parties. Right now, he had to work on saving his country and saving his sister. He hoped that there was a solution somewhere in all of the documents that he had.

"Oh, this might be promising," he mumbled as he grabbed a new folder. It was labeled "mercenary rumors."

He wondered what sort of mercenaries were wandering around the country. He knew that the thick, lush forests of the kingdom hid many things. The woodlands were one of the reasons that bandits did well in their country, but he had never heard anything about mercenaries lurking in the brush. He could guess why they were there, if they were helping save people from bandits. The forests were poorly patrolled at best, even when the whole army was still in the country. Without the army, well, the forest was probably littered with dens of thieves and hiding criminals. So, there was more than enough money to be made helping people.

"Maybe I could hire them, depending on how many of them there are. We have more than enough money for it," Viktor murmured to the air. Thanks to the tribute that the country had received from all of the lands that Garrick terrorized under their flag, they had an overabundance of wealth.

He flipped the folder open to see what the mercenaries were all about and if there would be enough of them to take on Garrick's men. According to the reports, villages away from the capital city were hiring a band of mercenaries to protect them since it was difficult for the royal guard to make it out to them, especially as expeditiously as they needed the protection. It had always been hard for the guard or the army to make it to villages, especially remote ones in the cover of the woods. _Not that the army would have helped now_ , he thought bitterly.

"These people are spending their hard earned money on protection that we should be providing for them as citizens of our nation. We're growing rich on other's people's misery and they're getting poorer just trying to live. Everything is just so crazy," he said aloud, sorrow dripping from his voice.

He shook those thoughts away and continued reading up on the mercenaries. He was confused when he read that the band was rumored to be "dogs." At first he was confused because the first thought that came to him mind were four-footed canines. _How could dogs be paid to fight off bandits?_ And then he remembered Ileana explaining to him that dogs were also the name that people called Rose and those like Rose.

He was vaguely aware that "dogs" worked in the palace, but they were never seen and he could not figure out why they were called "dogs" other than a demeaning name for servants that no one wanted to see. He really could not recall what made Rose different because when he thought about her, he remembered how she made him feel much more than how she looked, especially since she had been gone for four years now. But, when Ileana talked about her old friend, she described some features that he knew made Rose different, like the furry ears and a tail. It sounded somewhat like describing a regular dog. _So, are the mercenaries "dogs" like Rose?_ It made some sense to him.

He read the rest of the file and it really did not paint a flattering light on the mercenaries, but not because of their performance. If anything, the report was biased because the mercenaries were "dogs" and people had the nerve to deal with those "dogs." The report did not make the villages sound too good either because they needed the help of the "dogs." Viktor actually figured that the mercenaries were doing a good job because so many villages and towns dealt with them.

"If I pay them right, I wonder if they would fight to protect this place as well as any member of the army. I am sure that money would get them to protect my sister better than most around here," Viktor mumbled, knowing that his sister did not have many supporters in the kingdom.

Most members of the court believed that the Princess did not know her place and they thought that she often over stepped her bounds. He was certain that most people thought that she needed to get married and "learn to act like a woman." _Whatever that means_. He doubted that they would care if Garrick forced Ileana to wed him, or forced her to do anything else.

He read on, needing to learn more about the mercenaries. According to the file, the group did have quite the record of victories (if village tales could be believed), fighting off bandits, marauders, and other dangerous, cutthroat criminals. Even a few nobles hired them for safe guides and guards through the dangerous forest. Again, he had to read through the hate in order to gather that information, but it was there. These mercenaries would definitely be able to help if they were so reliable and he hoped that they were honorable because he did not have many options at the moment. He needed to protect his sister before anything else. Now, he just needed to know how to contact them.

He scanned through the files, trying to find out how to get in touch with the mercenaries. He could just send a loyal messenger or a secret carrier bird, but he would need to know where to send those. He was not even sure if they would accept such contacts. There did not seem to be any sort of indication of how he could get in touch with them.

"Oh, here it is," he said to himself and quickly read how he could contact them. " Great, I have to go in person. I will have to ride all the way to Lake Taka for this." He gulped as he read that and his heart sped up just a little, but then he sighed. _Anything for my sister and my country_.

Viktor stood up rapidly, made his decision right then and there. He prepared his clothing, not wanting to alert any of the palace staff, not even his servants, about his plans. He then rushed off down the dark halls of the sleeping palace. He rushed to Miss Olga's room, resisting the urge to barge in. Instead, he knocked loudly at the door while looking up and down the hall to make sure he was not being watched. He heard quite an unladylike snarl, but was so much so like Miss Olga.

"What?" Miss Olga demanded, practically ripping open the high door of her bedroom. Her face immediately went from ready to devour the person at her door to softening like a cloud when she saw who was there. "Yes, my Lord?" she asked in a slightly confused voice.

"I have made a decision, Miss Olga. I need to leave immediately to get things done as soon as possible," Viktor explained vaguely, but she caught on.

"Take some guards with you at the very least, sire," Miss Olga implored him. Her stern face slipped into a begging one for a few seconds.

"I cannot. We do not know who Garrick might have on his side. If all of those reports prove accurate, who knows who here have decided to throw in their lot with that brute. We already know that most officials and servants around here perceive me as weak and hold distain for Ileana. They might not object to Garrick coming in and making some changes. They might actually view it as much more traditional and beneficial than what we have now. We cannot let anyone else know," Viktor pointed out.

Miss Olga nodded. "Perhaps I should go with you," she suggested. She was more than capable of protecting him.

"No. If you and I are both gone, Ileana will send forces to look for us and you know through the sheer force of her personality, everyone will look. You also need to remain behind to protect her. I know the two of you together are unbeatable, so I will not worry for her if you are here. I will go alone and be swift about it. Besides, I need you to come up with a believable excuse," he replied with a sheepish grin on his face. He did not know it, but he looked utterly charming.

"You wish for me to lie to your sister?" Miss Olga asked, sounding quite incredulous. She never expected to hear such a thing from the Prince considering how he completely adored and admired his sister.

"Not lie per se…" he replied, making a circular motion with his hand.

"I shall take care of it. I do wish that you had someone with you, though," she stated.

"I am quite sorry about that, Miss Olga. Unlike my sister, I do not have someone like you to keep by my side. I should be fine on my own," he tried to assure her. He knew that he was at risk, but he really could not trust anyone with his idea or to watch his back. He supposed that his father had learned from his mistake with Miss Olga, knowing where her loyalty lay, so Viktor never had a single, lifelong caretaker like Ileana.

Miss Olga wished to argue, but she could see his underlying determination. She sighed and bowed her head to him, letting him know that she would handle Ileana. He charged off and she could only wonder what she just allowed. She rubbed her forehead and silently prayed that Viktor would return home alive and that everything would turn out right.

"These siblings are going to be the end of me," Miss Olga said to herself as she went back into her room and tried to think of exactly what she was going to say to the Princess in the morning when they found Viktor missing.

She did wish that Viktor had someone that he could depend on like Ileana could depend on her, but then again, she had to do quite a bit to earn that level of trust. Sometimes, she caught the Princess eyeing her as if waiting for the treachery to come. No matter what she did to prove herself, it seemed that Ileana would only ever trust one person in her life completely and totally and that person was dead. She knew why that was, but she shook that away. She had other things to bother with and could not let herself drown in old guilts.

In the morning, Miss Olga had to face Ileana at breakfast. The Princess entered, figuring that she was late because that was her usual. She was about to beg the apologizes of her brother and Miss Olga only to see that her brother's chair was empty. She turned her eyes to a large clock by the wall, checking to see the time. She was quite late, like always, so she wondered where her brother was.

"Miss Olga, is the Prince not joining us today?" Ileana asked as she went to her seat, pulling it out on her own rather than having a servant do it. She began going down a mental list of why her brother was not at the table; sickness was at the top of the list.

"The Prince had an urgent matter to attend to. He might be gone for several days," Miss Olga informed the tall, regal woman. She was aware that questions would follow that excuse, but she felt like she needed to say something to minimize the Princess concern.

Ileana's forehead wrinkled and her eyebrows curled upward ever-so slightly. "Gone for several days? What matter requires such attention? Why did he not take me with him then?"

"You cannot hold his hand through everything, Princess. He is acting as King right now and you should let him prove himself to be the man that he is. Trust him and assist him by taking care of the work that he saw fit to entrust you with," Miss Olga implored the younger woman.

Ileana sighed and nodded, though it was clearly reluctant. It was just that she could not do anything since her brother was gone already. She wished that he had said something to her. He was pretty much all she had left and she would like to make sure that he was still safe.

"Let him prove himself, at least for him," Miss Olga added. That time, she got a stronger nod from Ileana.

-8-8-8-8-

Viktor rode his black stallion, Onyx Wind, as fast as the beast could gallop through the beaten forest trails. He hoped that he could reach the lake in a less than two days. He was not sure what he would do out in the woods on his own, but he promised himself that he would somehow manage. He owed it to his sister and his country to be a man, even if he was only eleven. He did not want to use his age as an excuse anymore; his father used to always tell him that his age was not an excuse. He was born into greatness, so he should be great no matter what. He wanted to rise to the occasion for once, for his sister.

"Carry me swiftly, Onyx Wind. If only for the sake of Ileana. She deserves much better than a blood-thirsty brute like Garrick for a husband," Viktor told the horse.

Viktor rode all day, stopping only to water and to rest his horse. He had packed a few rations for himself and ate while riding like thunder through the forest. He kept to the path, silently praying for the gods to be on his side, to carry him safely to the lake without any delays. His heart pounded, sounding louder to him than his horse's hooves on the soft dirt and fallen leaves. He managed to get a few moments sleep on the trip, but did not care for much. He rested only when his horse needed it. He just wanted to reach the lake and find out about the mercenaries, find out if they could help him. He was so focused on that single goal that he did not even take in his surroundings as he rode. He was lucky that he was not the target for the many criminals that he knew roamed the woods.

As he drew closer to his destination, he became more aware of sounds around him. He tried to dismiss the noise as normal sounds of the forest; surely, there were just animals rustling around in places that he could not see. Still, his eyes darted back and forth whenever something reached his ears and he tried to remember if there were any reports of bandits or thieves on the trail that he followed. He saw shadows moving in the distance and they seemed to be getting closer. He gulped and the next thing he knew there were two figures standing ahead of him. He yanked on the horse's reins, causing Onyx Wind to rear back and stop.

"Ya business?" a gruff voice demanded.

Viktor squinted, trying to make out the two people in the fading light of day. He could not see much of their faces and could not even tell their gender because they were wearing cloaks and they were both rather tall with lean builds. They did not have the patience for his staring.

"Ya business?" the voice, seeming to come from the figure out on the right, demanded once again.

"I am looking for a group of mercenaries. I wish to hire them," Viktor answered after taking a moment to figure out what the person seemed to be trying to ask him.

The pair looked at each other and then eyed the Prince for a moment. He sat tall on his steed, even though on the inside his organs were all doing flips and his nerves were quivering. With each second that went by, his body wanted to tremble more, but he controlled it until finally the silence was broken.

"This way," the talkative one said, beckoning the Prince with a simple motion of his hand.

Viktor followed the pair, still hearing some noise in the forest. He guessed that they were being watched and assumed that it was probably comrades of the duo that he was following because they did not appear bothered by the obvious surveillance. They walked him to the water's edge and disappeared into some dense trees nearby. He could hear bells clanking for a few seconds and then his guides were back.

"Off horse."

Viktor followed the command and dismounted his horse. They motioned for him to step away from his stallion, which he did with a suspicious glare in his eye. The pair watched Onyx Wind and took some time to stroke his muzzle. One took the horse for water at the lake edge while the other pointed out into the water, directing Viktor's attention there. In the distance, Viktor was able to barely make out a boat coming toward them.

"They come, you go."

Viktor was not totally sure what the person meant by that. He hoped that whoever was heading toward them spoke clearer than his guide. The boat came to shore and he was able to see that it contained two other shadowed figures, but they removed the hoods of their cloaks. Kwen frowned at the sight of the small human before him while Yu rolled his eyes because of his companion's expression.

"So, you need our services?" Yu asked the young Prince.

"If you are mercenaries, I would like to hire you," Viktor answered.

"Well, we don't really call ourselves mercenaries, but we are up for hire if you can meet our price," Yu replied, small smile in place. The expression was clearly forced because it did not reach his eyes.

"I would pay anything for your help!" Viktor swore with conviction.

"It's not our place to negotiate. You will ride with us alone and we will take you to the person that can negotiate with you," Yu explained.

Viktor nodded. "My horse…?"

"These pups will watch the horse. Your horse will be fine and waiting for you when our business is concluded. Come," Yu urged the young man while motioning to the boat.

Viktor nodded and swallowed hard before getting into the boat. The lake was covered in a fog, so it made it hard to see much out on the water. Viktor remembered reading a legend that claimed a dragon was sleeping at the bottom of the lake and the fog that almost always covered the water was created from the hot, fiery breath of the dozing dragon. The tale kept a lot of people from coming to the area, not wanting to chance waking the dragon. He was not sure if he believed that or not, but being out in the dark water with the dense fog and such large strangers, he did know that he was frightened. He wondered what kind of person they were taking him to meet, imagining that their leader was some fierce giant considering how big they were.

His imagination did get away with him while riding. His mind came up with an image of the leader. Someone that he suspected stood twenty feet high and could snap tree trunks in two with monster-size hands. The leader's eyes could probably kill anyone that dared meet the gaze. He probably could breath fire and hits from other individuals felt like mere caresses to this fierce leader. No weapon could possibly fall such a mighty individual.

The boat came to rest on a beach that was on an island that was indeed in the middle of the lake and the Prince was snapped out of his thoughts. Viktor watched as Kwen and Yu pulled the boat onto the sand; there was no dock to tie the boat onto. The vessel was left on the beach and the two giants, as far as Viktor was concerned, marched off with Viktor having to jog behind them to keep up.

They walked through some unkempt brush and monster-sized bushes. Viktor was having some trouble keeping up, getting trapped in the middle of some shrubs, but he managed to make it through. They came to a villa that Viktor was sure had to be a masterpiece when it was in its prime. Right now, the villa looked ready to fall into a pile of dust if they breathed too hard in its direction.

The inside of the villa looked better than the outside, but not by much, Viktor noted. There were well-trimmed gardens and a working fountain to greet those that entered. The cobblestone walkway was not much better than a dirt path littered with random stones. He noticed people walking around and some small children seemed to be watching them from the far end of the courtyard, but no one approached them. From what Vitkor could tell, they all had tails; he could see them swaying behind everyone, including his two escorts. _They are who people call dogs? Is it because of the tails only? That hardly seems fair._

They walked down a long, open corridor and came to a room. Yu opened the door and motioned for Viktor go inside. The Prince took the invite and was shocked when he laid eyes on the person right across from him, sitting in a large chair covered in fur. He had expected a huge, muscle-bound guy with no neck, but instead he got a petite female that seemed to be buried underneath a rich, crimson cloak that she was wearing.

"Xol, this young man would like to talk business," Yu reported.

Xol stared at the Prince before her, willing her face to remain bored, like everyone expected of her. On the inside, she could not believe what she was seeing. She could not believe that he had grown into such a big, elegant young man.

"Please, sit and explain your position. My associates could get you something if you need anything," Xol offered, motioning to the chair in front of her.

"I require nothing more than for you to be able to help me," Viktor implored as he took a seat, close to the leader. His deep brown eyes were so expressive, begging for assistance. He focused on her, thinking that there was something familiar about her, but he could not figure out what at the moment. The problem at hand with Garrick was at the forefront of his mind and really the only thing he was willing to devote his mind to.

"Well, tell me what you need help with and I'll see what we can do," Xol said, her tone still measured and business-like.

Viktor nodded, noting in the back of his mind that she spoke much clearer than the other two that he heard. He cleared his throat before he went into explaining his plight. "First of all, my name is Prince Viktor and I am the ruler of Fleuriza. A man that has been employed by my kingdom named Garrick Claymore has decided to betray us after a four-year partnership. Over these years, he has been able to seduce many of my soldiers over to his side and now he has enough power to stage a coup. To make it even more heart-wrenching for me, I have learned that he plans to force my sister into marrying him," he reported, managing to keep his emotions in check. He did not want to come across as weak, thinking that it might hurt his chances for getting assistance.

Xol flinched; _that bastard Garrick plans to force_ my _Ileana into marrying him?_ She nearly growled out loud just from the thought of it. She swallowed the noise, but she earned glances from Yu, Kwen, and Mei; the latter was standing behind her. She took a breath and tried to keep up her strong, stoic mask.

"And you wish to hire us to fight for your side?" Xol asked calmly.

"I would like that. I can give you as much treasure as you like. It is the one thing that I am drowning in right now," he remarked, chuckling a bit, but lacking all humor.

Xol sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid that is the one thing that I am drowning in also and you might imagine that we have very little use for treasure. Your capital city has many fine cloths and you grow good food and robust livestock. You can pay us in such items rather than in money," she proposed. They got so much gold for their services and really they did not need it where they lived. They needed things that gold brought, but it was hard for them to find humans willing to bargain with them to spend the gold on. Thankfully, they were slowly growing their own vegetables and small livestocks, but the island was not big enough to sustain them completely.

"It can be done. I would also like to hire a bodyguard for my sister, just in case. I want protection for her at all times when Garrick comes. I fear that he might…" Viktor trailed off and growled as the horrible thoughts invaded his mind.

"Say no more," Xol replied, waving her hand slightly to dismiss his thoughts. She did not want to hear or even think of such a thing. She glanced at her comrades and weighed what she was about to suggest. "I will do you this service for free."

"Free?" Viktor echoed while Mei had to hold back a laugh.

"I will do this for free. You should also have a bodyguard. I know you're worried about your sister, but you should worry about yourself as well. You are leading, you said," Xol pointed out.

Viktor nodded. "I suppose you are right."

"Yu, will you do me the favor of acting as Prince Viktor's bodyguard?" Xol requested.

"I can't refuse you, boss, but I can't do it for free. Unlike you, I need food to survive," Yu teased.

"Well, you can work out your own price, but guard this young man well," the small diajinn implored.

Yu smiled and bowed. "This I can do, boss." He then had to force a smirk off of his face, but it was so hard to do when Mei was smirking herself.

"All right, Prince Viktor, we have agreed to terms. Now, if you want to fill us in on the situation and we can all come up with the best course of action," Xol stated.

Viktor nodded and started to inform them in on what was going on, how many men Garrick had at his disposal, when he should return to the city, and what kind of weapons they would have. Xol nodded through the whole thing and then leaned forward as she tried to think of plan. She glanced over at her comrades.

"Well, you don't know for a fact that he's going to go through with this, so we shouldn't attack right away. It could end up looking pretty bad for you," Yu stated.

Xol nodded. "He's right, Prince Viktor. But, what we can do is this, you find a place to keep my group, somewhere we're not likely to be noticed and we can wait him out for a while," she proposed.

"That sounds good," the Prince concurred. "Will you have enough forces to take him on if necessary?"

"I will. Do you have such a place to hide us?" Xol inquired.

"I have a place, but I will need your word that you would all be on your best behavior," Prince Viktor replied. There was the perfect place in the palace to house dozens of people, but he was not totally comfortable with putting people there, especially strangers.

"Of course we will. I'll see to that. Well, let me mobilize my troops and we can get moving. We don't want Garrick to beat us back to the city, after all. Yu, since you're now the Prince's bodyguard, you can either show him to a room until we're ready to go or you could go ahead with him," Xol suggested.

"I'll show you to a room, sir," Yu told the Prince, not bothering to give him a choice. Kwen chuckled a bit while Xol eyed both of them. They both coughed and looked away.

" _I'll go with you_ ," Kwen told Yu, just trying to get out of the room as quickly as he could.

Kwen left the room before Yu did, even though Yu was the one that was given the task. Viktor stood up and calmly walked out with Yu. Xol sighed and stared at her desk for a long while. She knew that Mei was standing behind her and smiling.

"Don't say anything. Let's just get this out of the way," Xol stated, trying her best to sound harsh, but more pleading than anything else.

Mei shrugged, but she could not wipe the smile off of her face. Xol stood up and walked off to gather the troops. Mei followed along with, almost grinning from her amusement.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Xol and Ileana meet again and it is not the warmest reunion.


	27. 26: Awkward and annoying

26: Awkward and annoying

"So, boss, is this like a homecoming for you?" Mei asked Xol as they marched through the forest, heading toward the capital city and home of Prince Viktor.

Xol cut Mei a glare before focusing on the path ahead of them, pretending to watch for rocks or logs or whatever else might be in the way. She really was not in the mood to talk about where they were going and what Mei was really trying to ask, but Mei seemed to be all about talking all of the time. Mei just ran her mouth no matter what and Xol knew that all too well. Helping matters along, Mei had a subject that she really wanted to talk about and she loved teasing their leader.

"You gon' see that pretty little princess of yours? Mate with her like there's no tomorrow?" Mei remarked, smiling crocked like a demon. There was a wicked glint in her eyes.

Xol snorted, but that did not stop Mei. Oh, no, the taller woman had something and she was just delighted to have the whole trip to taunt and mock their leader about it. She went on and on about how Xol was mated to the Princess, which disturbed a few people around them that could not help listening to the jeers. Mei did not pay them any mind, even though she knew why they were so curious. She just could not let the chance tease their alpha pass, no matter who was listening and what they might think. Xol's silence through out the journey did not seem to bother Mei at all either because she just kept talking. Kwen drifted over to them after a while, looking to save the boss and cut off the nonsense about their leader being attracted to some human.

" _Mei, why don't you just shut the hell up for two damn seconds? The chief isn't thinking about nothing beyond getting us what we need by doing a job. She's not mated to some nasty human either. Nobody's that stupid. It's probably not even possible to be mated to a human. The sun goddess probably has plans for the chief to meet up with some super-smart mate later on down the line. So, leave her alone so she can get her head in the game_ ," Kwen stated, pushing Mei slightly with his elbow. Thanks to his mass, he shoved her over, but that did not faze her at all. It did not even take away her expression.

" _I think the boss is thinking about much more than the job. She's going to play the bodyguard for free, making sure the bad man doesn't take her princess, the princess she was so determined not to let us have four years ago_ ," Mei remarked, devilish smile now permanently gracing her features, just thinking about the Princess of Fleuriza and their fearless leader.

" _That was different. She's different now. She's got Ro and everything. So, just leave her alone. Nobody's stupid enough to mate a human anyway, not even the boss_ ," Kwen retorted with a deep grunt at the end to emphasize his point. A snarl on his lip showed that he was insulted by the very idea that their leader would want a human in such an intense way.

Mei laughed a bit; she could not help wondering why Kwen seemed to think grunting made his point all the more true. " _We can't help who we bond to. It's just by luck that we always bond with daijinn. The boss, she's mated to that princess, though. You know it and I know it_."

" _I know you're full of it. She's got Ro. She'll bond with Ro_ ," he stated, followed by another deep grunt.

She shook her head and then turned her attention to the aforementioned Ro, who was standing right behind Xol. Ro was a tall female, even by daijinn standards, thick with muscle with flawless caramel skin. Her ears, buried in short dark brown and deep red hair, were pointed toward Mei and Kwen, so it was easy to guess that she heard the conversation. Mei made a conscious decision not to make any apologies for her words.

Ro did not say anything, but she did step closer to Xol. She leaned down, putting her arm around the smaller, pale leader. Xol reached up and stroked Ro's bare forearm. Ro smiled from the attention, but Xol's expression was like always, bored, almost indifferent. Of course, that did not get past Mei, who surprisingly enough, said nothing about it. The silence did not last long.

"You didn't answer me, boss. Would this be like a homecoming?" Mei inquired with an arched eyebrow. She actually sounded curious now instead of mocking.

Xol frowned and resisted the urge to shut her comrade up by stating that she did not have a home. Of course, that statement would be hurtful, as her comrades felt that her home was with them, on their island, at the villa, and with their pack. She did not feel at home, though. No need for everyone to know that, though.

Her current job was about revenge. It was personal and it was taking away from the professional demeanor that she always tried to portray, at least in her opinion. She was not ready to tell anyone that she was eager for the job because she had plans to put her hands in Garrick's chest whether he was staging a coup or not. Getting supplies and necessities for it was just a bonus for her. But, saying what was really on her mind would just bring another barrage of questions, and possibly from more than Mei. She really was not in the mood to deal with that.

"Mei, why don't you just leave her alone?" Ro growled, her jade eyes flashing with anger. Her tongue was heavier than Mei's because she typically spoke their language, not really a fan of anything from humans, like most of their group. She spoke the human language every now and then for Xol and when she did not want everyone in the pack to know what she was talking about.

"Because there's no fun in that," Mei answered with a little scoff.

Ro snarled in the direction of Mei, who just rolled her eyes. Ro turned her attention to the small body pressed against her. "Come on, little goddess. Let's walk up ahead," she suggested.

Xol did not object and allowed Ro to hasten their pace. Mei chuckled a bit to herself while watching Ro take Xol away. Kwen watched the pair rush off and then turned his attention to Mei.

Glancing at Mei, the massive warrior commented, " _I thought you liked Ro_."

" _I do. I just like Xol more and Ro isn't right for the boss. She's not what the boss needs and she can't be what the boss needs. The boss always looks so sad. She needs someone that can make her smile_ ," Mei replied.

" _Like a kitten?_ " Kwen suggested, and he was so serious that she could only laugh in response.

Mei turned her eyes ahead, trying to catch a glimpse of Xol, but she was completely eclipsed by Ro. She shook her head, earning a queer glance from Kwen. He seemed to have enough of her antics too and walked off up ahead, going near Yu, who was walking with the Prince. Kwen would rather be near a human than Mei at the moment.

Mei shrugged, not minding being dismissed. She decided to get some praying out of the way, hoping that the mission went as smooth as others. She also said prayers that Xol found happiness someday.

"That sun needs her moon," Mei whispered to the air.

The trip took a couple of days of marching, getting them to the city limits around dusk. The timing was perfect, providing them with enough darkness to keep their movements secret. Moving around in the growing shadows, Prince Viktor instructed them on ways to get into the palace without being noticed.

Xol was momentarily distracted, taking in the sight of the city. Her mind and body were flooded with memories of when she and Ileana had their adventures in the streets just beyond the city walls. Her stomach flipped what felt like a million times in less than a second, her knees trembled, and only her willpower kept her standing. Her brief reverie went unnoticed by the Prince and the rest of her party.

"Do you think you will be able to make it in all right?" Viktor asked.

"I'm sure we'll manage," Xol answered plainly, even though she did not hear a word that he said before. She knew how to get into the city and into the palace, though, so she really did not need to hear him.

"I will meet you at the entrance in the palace and settle where everyone can stay. I hope I will not keep you long," Viktor said, almost as if he was apologizing.

"Please, keep us as long as you require us," Mei remarked, smiling in the leader's direction.

Xol did not acknowledge the look or words in any way. The boss motioned for everyone to move out by pointing ahead into the tunnel. The group went forward, marching into the dark corridor that would take them into the palace.

-8-8-8-8-

"Viktor, I have been so worried about you!" Ileana cried as she rushed her returning brother. She pulled him in for a powerful hug and breathed a sigh of relief as she held him. He grunted and exhaled too while latching onto her.

"I am sorry to have worried you," Viktor whispered. His body felt light to know that he was not too late, though. For the entire trip, he feared that they would arrive and he would find the city flying Garrick's flags and his sister would be in the hands of that monster.

"Please, do not just disappear on me again! I hate that…I hate that…" she sniffed, holding back tears. He was the only person left in her life that she could completely trust and that she had close to her that was near and dear to her heart. She was not sure what she would do if he just left one day.

"I know. I am so sorry," the boy said, feeling his heart clench his chest because of how hurt she sounded. "I just needed to take care of something."

"And what is that you needed to take care of? Why could you not tell me?" she begged to know, pulling back a little so that he could see the agony in her, the fear that she was being shut out.

"I will explain everything soon enough. Right now, I have business that I need to take care of and then I will explain what is going on. All right?" he proposed in a steady tone.

Ileana nodded and Viktor was off to go meet Xol and her group. The Princess noted that he was running off in the direction of her corner of the palace, which was odd. The only people ever there were her and Miss Olga. He should know that neither of them would be there at the moment. She wondered what was going on, but decided to wait and allow Viktor to tell her what he was up to.

-8-8-8-8-

The Prince marched to the room that he expected Xol and her group to arrive in at any moment. He scanned the room while he had the chance and wondered if the hall would be large enough to hold the entire group. He suspected it would because it could almost a hundred people, but he doubted that number counted people the size of all of the mercenaries traveling with Xol.

"What if they cannot all fit? Would they leave because of a mild discomfort? I cannot chance such a thing," Viktor considered in a panic and he began to pace the room.

The Prince was so wrapped up in those thoughts that he failed to notice his guests arriving. Xol and Yu exited the tunnel first, having to move a heavy and tall picture in order to come in. As soon as they stepped into the area, they began taking in the scene, making sure that everything was as right as their other senses informed them.

"I don't think we're all going to fit in here," Yu commented when he saw the size of the room.

The sound of his voice made the young Prince jump and halt his movement. Viktor turned to face them and hoped that they had not witnessed his nervous behavior. He waited a moment, seeing if they would comment, but they said nothing.

"I was considering that. As your people come in, I will have someone show everyone to empty rooms before the room gets too crowded," Viktor decided. "Only those necessary for the meeting will stay."

"Are you sure we won't be discovered here?" Xol asked, straining her ears for evidence of anyone nearby. If her memory was serving her correctly, they were in an area that should have been trafficked by dozens of servants. Her ears were not picking up anything, though. The place was as silent as a grave and smelled like people had not been around recently. _Why is that?_

"There are only two people that use this wing of the palace, but it is because of them that I need you all be on your best behavior," Viktor answered. His eyes flashed with the end of that statement and it did not go by his guests.

 _Two_ , Xol's mind echoed. _Why only two?_ She was about to voice her questions aloud, but more of her group started flooding in and Viktor left to arrange for rooms. He returned with quite the familiar face.

"Miss Olga, I need you to get our guests situated in some of the rooms in this area of the palace. I do not want anyone else to know that they are here," Viktor informed the governess.

"You invited _dogs_ into the palace?" Miss Olga almost shrieked. Her face did not hide any of the disgust that was coursing through her body, knowing that the upper levels of the palace had never been disgraced with the presence of such lowly creatures, and such a large number of them. _Well, except for that one_.

The words turned many heads and eyes glared at the blue-eyed governess. Miss Olga did not flinch under so many hard gazes. She actually ignored their looks, as if they did not exist at all, and kept her attention to Viktor.

"Miss Olga, these are our guests and they are going to help us get rid of our problem. Please, show them proper respect and hospitality as my guests and show them to some rooms. Make sure that no one else sees them and do not upset them," Viktor commanded.

Miss Olga sighed, but did as she was ordered to do. She motioned for whomever to follow her out of the room and several people did. Xol and Yu stuck around, watching their people leave. Mei, Kwen, and Ro joined the duo; all of whom went to be closer to the pair. Ro stood by Xol, an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders, pressing her close.

"So, Garrick should be here in a few days. He will request an audience with me more than likely—" Viktor started to explain, but he was cut off.

"And it's there we'll find out if he's taking over or not. Don't worry about it," Xol stated, stepping away from Ro, whose face dropped a bit at the loss of contact.

"Don't worry, Prince Viktor. The boss knows how to handle these things. She'll get us set with the perfect plan and set up in the perfect places, just in case we have to react. Let her handle it from here," Mei assured the young man with a bright, sincere smile on her face. "Maybe you should introduce the boss to the body that she should be guarding," she added with quite the devilish grin. She wiggled her eyebrows, but the action went by the young human.

"I suppose that would be for the best if you feel comfortable with handling everything. How about you all make yourselves comfortable around the room and I will have Miss Olga fetch the lady of the hour when she returns?" Viktor suggested.

"Why not send some other servant?" Xol asked curiously, planning to remain standing, but everyone else seemed to have other ideas. Kwen kicked a chair, causing it to slide and end up behind her. Mei pushed her down while pretending to just walk by her. She hit the cushion and glared at the pair. "You two are such children," she scolded them.

" _Only because you're such a pain in the ass_ ," Kwen replied as he flopped down onto a narrow sofa, which groaned a complaint or two when his bulky frame hit the seat.

Xol snorted in Kwen's direction, but turned her attention back to the Prince. "Why's this area so empty?" she asked.

"Some years ago my sister had a falling out with many of her servants and little by little started banishing them from her sight. They left willingly for whatever reason. And, lately, considering the few problems that we have in the palace, whatever servants that were left over here decided to leave because they felt like my sister had overstepped her bounds," Viktor explained.

"How so?" Xol inquired.

"They say she acts too much like a man. My father is ill and so I am acting king in his place. She helps a lot, taking over many matters that are just over my head or that I cannot deal with because there are so many things to do. When people stop listening to me, she forces them to listen. She is quite the overwhelming force and they just do not know how to deal with her. She says she prefers being alone, though. I do not know how true that is, as I cannot recall it being true in the past," he answered.

Xol nodded to that information, but she did not say anything else. She leaned back in her chair, reaching out and taking Ro's hand into her own. Ro smiled and looked down at the small leader. Mei rolled her eyes.

" _You two better not get all mushy or I'll throw up_ ," Kwen stated quite seriously, earning a growl from Ro.

Kwen dismissed the noise with a wave of his hand. The crew waited around for a while as their people were still being shown to rooms. Once done with that task, Miss Olga was set to go get Ileana. For a brief moment, she eyed the "dog" the others were calling "boss." She should knew that face, her mind insisted, but she shook it off, knowing the person she was thinking of was quite dead.

"Might I request that you show my sister proper respect when she enters and rise to greet her? She is often dismissed by others," Viktor asked. He had noted that the discipline of the group was strange, as they respected Xol, but seemed to try her often. If they were like that to their own leader, he could not think of how they might act toward his sister.

"I can't promise anything. My comrades have some…issues with humans," Xol answered. She knew that Kwen would not rise to his feet when Ileana entered, even if ordered to. Yu would probably consider the order, but she knew that he would rather pluck out his own eyes than show any kind of respect to a human without a good reason. Mei would probably laugh and just make fun of her, so she was not going to bother. Besides, forced respect was not respect, so they would just be disrespecting the Princess anyway if they honored Viktor's wishes.

Viktor thought that was an odd response and was tempted to ask why she just could not command them to do as she said. They seemed to follow her well, even with the teasing. He would say that her people followed her much better than his own followed him.

When Miss Olga returned, she had Ileana by her side. Viktor was the only one that rose from his seat to greet her. Mei was too busy making faces at Xol to even notice the Princess was in the room until she caught the scent of the newcomer. She glanced at the Princess, who was staring intensely at Xol, light brown eyes seemed to be trying to hide all emotion. Mei shook her head; the Princess certainly was not as good as Xol at hiding her feelings because Xol remained stoic.

Xol did have to take a deep breath and ordered treacherous parts of her body to calm down as she kept eye contact with Ileana. Her heart did not listen, jumping into her throat and beating hard and heavy to the point that she feared it would tear her neck open. She reminded herself that the Princess did not care much about her beyond what a person would feel for a pet and that helped ease her overreacting heart. Still, the organ held onto hope and remained lounged in her throat.

Ileana noticed the steel look that overtook golden eyes. She stood rigid and had to consciously stop herself from grinding her teeth together. She wanted to know why her best friend was acting as if they did not know each other and she wanted to know who that woman was hugged up with her best friend. The closeness of the pair made her blood boil for some reason that she did not want to contemplate for the moment. There seemed to be more pressing matters to think about, like why all of these daijinn were in the palace.

Viktor swallowed hard because he could feel the tension in the room, rising by the second. He was not sure why, but he did notice Ro move in closer to Xol and Ro put her arm all the way around the pale leader. He wondered if the mercenaries feared that they were about to be double-crossed or something of that nature because of Ro's protective actions.

"Xol, this is my sister, Princess Ileana. Ileana, this is Xol and she will be acting as your bodyguard," Viktor explained, motioning between the two.

Ileana folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breath before trusting her voice. "Why am I suddenly in need of a bodyguard?" she inquired, sounding almost insulted by the very idea. Her eyes frosted over, wanting to show strength.

"Ileana, please, do not take offense. I will tell you everything right now. I have been getting reports that Garrick plans to stage a coup since Father is sick. He plans to take the throne and also to take you as his bride to legitimize his claim to the throne," Viktor informed her.

"I would sooner kill myself than wed that filthy buffoon!" Ileana declared with fire in her voice.

"Well, to avoid that, I have enlisted a bodyguard for you. I have also hired Xol's people to act as our protectors since many of our warriors are more loyal to Garrick than to us. So, please, accept her protection," the boy ruler implored, placing his hands together as if he was praying for her to accept.

"I can take care of myself," Ileana stated, holding her head high. She could take care of herself much better than four years ago and she had made sure of that. She was never going to run away from a battle again. She had made sure of that years ago. "And even if things go to the worst, I would never submit to such scum. But, I doubt it would come to that because as I said, I can take care of myself," she stated proudly.

"That may be, but it would be better to err on the side of caution. Besides, no one should have to spill their own blood because of a pig like Garrick," Xol commented, hostility sneaking into her voice and earning a glance from her comrades.

"What do you know of Garrick? This is just a job for you," Ileana spat, feeling a rage building inside of her for reasons that she could not fathom. There were just too many reasons for her to be angry.

"That it may be too, but I've been hired to protect you, so just accept it," Xol stated in a strong voice that was a shock to the Princess.

" _The chief is pretty talkative today, huh?_ " Kwen remarked with a chuckle. Xol cut him a glare that quickly shut him up. He squirmed in his chair and looked like a reprimanded child for a brief moment.

"If you're worried about being bothered, I assure you, it wouldn't cross my mind. I understand that someone like you would only see me as being underfoot or in the way," Xol said to the Princess.

Those words took Ileana by surprise, causing her to blink hard, and brought back thoughts that haunted her for the past four years. She shook them away, holding onto her anger with a force that she did not even understand. She needed to get out of the room, she decided. The pressure was just too great and she felt like she would either be crushed or explode.

"Since this has to do with Garrick, I suppose I can go about my usual manner until his return," Ileana stated in a clipped tone.

"I suppose…" Viktor conceded. There was a slight grimace on his face that showed he did not agree with her plan, but he knew that he could not talk her out of something that she had her mind set on. Besides, he did not see the danger in her acting normal, but he would rather err on the side of caution.

"Then I will take my leave. Good day to you all," Ileana said and she rushed out of the room as if everyone had a disease. Xol's eyes followed her, seeming glued to her. The Princess still felt those golden orbs on her body even when she was safely outside of her room. The feeling persisted as she entered and was tucked secure in the room.

Mei eyed Xol and nodded toward the door, quietly suggesting that Xol go after the Princess. Xol remained where she was, resisting the call that she felt and the desire to do just as Mei wanted her to. She willed down those urges, reminding herself that such feelings would not get her anywhere in life.

The daijinn leader did not move until Miss Olga decided to show the remaining daijinn to some rooms. Xol's eyes wandered down a corridor that she knew by heart until she realized what she was doing. She shook her head to expel any thoughts from her head; she needed to be happy that Ileana was fine and now she needed to forget Ileana, she told herself. _Stay focused on the task at hand—killing that pig of a man_.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Xol makes a visit to her mentor while Ileana ponders her best friend.


	28. 27: Sentiment

27: Sentiment

Ileana paced in her room, trying to figure out what Rose—or Xol as she seemed to be called now—seemed to be doing. Why was she there? What was she planning? She did not think it was something bad, of course, but it still troubled her to not know. She could not figure out why Xol was back at the palace after all of this time.

She wanted to figure out why exactly seeing Xol had upset her so much. Why had the sight of her best friend torn her apart on the inside? She considered that her pain came from the way that she and Xol parted all those years ago. The way that she was left feeling as if she was not good enough, that she could possibly never hold enough…something…to keep her best friend. She remembered feeling abandoned, even though it was because of her best friend she was able to get back to where she needed to be. Still, it felt like she had been left out in the cold sobbing and those cries meant nothing to the one person she wanted them to matter to.

She shivered as if freezing now, as she remembered the golden eyes that watched her back at the meeting room. Golden eyes that she was somehow certain followed her down the hall and into her closed bedroom, but she knew that was impossible. Whether it was possible or not did not stop her body from trembling, thinking about how hard those eyes were as they bore through her, tore through her, and made her feel forgotten, unimportant, and disregarded.

She recalled how so many years ago it was implied that those pack-members were better than she was, how she could not compare to them, and now there her best friend was with the people that had chased her down for no reason as far as she knew. They were people that planned to hurt her and her best friend was sitting with them as if they were all such close comrades. She had been left for them, abandoned for them, cast aside like worthless trash for them, her mind roared. She openly snarled and turned sharply to walk in the other direction, foot digging into the floor as if punishing it. Her pacing was hard, like she was trying to vent her frustration through walking it out.

 _Why did she not come back to me? Why did she stay with them? Why return in this manner? Why return now? Why return with them? Why act so cold toward me? And why was that woman practically draped on her?_ Ileana wondered, growling as each question pushed its way to the forefront of her mind. Her face grew tense with each thought and veins bulged from her neck, making it seem like she could explode at any moment.

The Princess covered her face with both of her hands and rubbed her face for a moment. Her hands dropped to the side for a few seconds while her body was completely still and her eyes focused on the floor. Suddenly, she brought her left hand to her mouth while her right hand went to her hip. Her hands switched positions after a few more second. The fidgeting continued, her hands constantly swapping their positions.

Her breathing was slowly but surely turning into pants. There was a burning sensation in her eyes and she was pretty sure that it was not from rage. A deep agony clawed its way bit by bit out of her soul and jabbed at her heart like hot needles. She almost felt like she might throw up because her throat was starting to burn as if her stomach was expelling all of the acid inside of it, but the organ did not rebel totally.

 _What is this pain? Why can I not be happy to see my friend alive and well? Not only well, but doing well? She has people around her that make her happy…but, why can I not be one of them?_ Ileana wondered as tears began streaking down her face while her mouth trembled, sobs wanting to escape her dry throat. Why was she to be forsaken by someone that meant so much to her?

She tried to shake it off, but her mind reminded her that she had already debated the issue many times with herself through out the past four years. Now that she was older, she believed that she knew why she was to be cast aside and seeing her once-best-friend now only affirmed her theories in her opinion. She had held her friend back, crippled her in so many ways, and now her friend was beyond surviving on her own. Her friend was apparently the leader of her own group. Her friend was standing on her own and holding others up.

Ileana let loose a hollow sound that could have been a sob. She held her stomach, fearing that it was finally ready to dispel its contents. Nothing came from except another hollow sound that she knew was a sob.

"From my pet to a leader in roughly four years. I have done nothing for her," she muttered, shaking her head from disappointment in herself while her tears slid to the floor, causing tiny puddles at her feet. She could understand why her friend would rather pretend to not know her. She wondered if she could at least apologize for her actions when they were children. She doubted that would help, but she did not want things between them to somehow get worse.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol went to turn the door handle of her room, planning to leave. She was halted as she felt an arm snake around her shoulders. She allowed herself to be pulled against Ro's much taller frame. Ro leaned down and breathed in Xol's scent.

" _Where are you going, sun goddess?_ " Ro asked in a low tone, nipping at Xol's ear. The ear twitched.

" _I have something I need to do. I shouldn't be long, but feel free to eat dinner without me if it ever makes it here_ ," Xol replied. They had been told that meals would be brought to the room, but she was not going to hold her breath for that promise. If servants here refused to serve their own princess, she doubted that they would suddenly serve people that they viewed as lower than dogs.

" _With that princess?_ " Ro inquired in a growl. Her body tensed against the leader.

"No," Xol simply answered, pulling away from the embrace. She did not explain herself and stepped out of the door, leaving Ro to wonder just where she was going.

The pint-sized leader strolled down the hall, remembering when she lived there, following in the shadow of the one person in her life that noticed her. She could almost see herself as a meek eight-year-old, walking with an eight-year-old Ileana, hand-in-hand, heading toward trouble if the Princess had anything to say about it and happy to be headed that way together. A small smile worked its way onto Xol's face, but she shook it away.

"The past is the past. It probably doesn't matter anymore," Xol told herself. "I was just a pet anyway…"

The past, the memories, none of that mattered, she tried to assure herself. She went so far as to tell herself that she did not care that Ileana had not reacted well to seeing her again. She quelled down any questions of why she did not receive her usual embrace like when they were younger. She even tried to repress the desire for that sweet embrace. She attempted to assure herself that it did not matter that Ileana did not want her help. The present was different from the past and she needed to accept that.

She had a job to do and she had people that were depending on her. She would do her job to the best of her ability while fulfilling what she truly believed to be her reason for living: killing Garrick. She would give her family and her clan peace by delivering him to the afterlife.

She was able to really let those thoughts go as she hit the lower level of the palace. She could feel that familiar heat reaching her, biting at her like a kitten wanting attention. She stepped into it, no anxiety or hesitation. She went straight to the one person that she wanted to see, glad to find that she was still there and seemed to be relatively all right.

"You didn't get a new assistant yet?" Xol asked curiously as she came up behind Fry, who was working as hard as ever.

The elder daijinn spun around with a speed most would not expect from someone her age. For a moment, she doubted her eyes and thought that she was seeing some sort of specter, but she knew that could not be the case because the specter had a scent. So, whatever was standing before her was not a phantom of some kind, but to be sure, she threw her arms around the small teenager. Xol was stunned for a moment, but she did quickly return the hug.

"Thought you died…" Fry said in a low, relieved voice. Tears immediately gathered and escaped down her cheeks.

"Technically, I did," Xol answered with a small, half-smile on her face. She pulled away just enough for her mentor to see her expression.

"Changed," Fry stated with a smile of her own, even though the tears continued to pour down her face. She was aware that going from a girl to a woman was enough to change anyone, but she was sure that it was more to it than that with her former assistant. She noted that somehow the teen came back with the same old, tired, lived-to-long-and-hard look in her eyes despite the obvious changes that she had gone through.

"I suppose. I'm sorry I just left and let you think I was dead," Xol apologized with a bowed head.

Fry laughed a little through her tears. "Happy you still alive. All that matters," she stated soundly, pulling away from their hug some more in order to give her former assistant a good look. She reached down to caress Xol's cream-colored cheek. "Knew you'd end up pretty," she told the younger woman.

Xol ducked her head, hiding a blush. Her eyes caught sight of Fry's wrist and she saw the rein wrapped around the elder's arm. She lifted her head and took Fry's hand into both of hers.

"Why you come back? You free…" Fry pointed out, sorrow crawling into her voice and clouding her eyes. Suddenly, a fire burned in those foggy eyes, drying up any remaining tears, and a deep, animalistic growl escaped her throat. "You not back for trouble Princess?" she demanded to know as she took hold of Xol's arms. She held the younger woman in a bruising grip.

"I'm still free. I was hired by Prince Viktor. Princess Ileana doesn't want anything to do with me, and I can't force her," Xol replied in a low voice. Those admissions ate her up inside. Why did Ileana not want anything to do with her? _Was I really just a pet to her as everyone believes?_ _As everyone tells me? Was I really just a dog to her?_

"You still feeling for her?" Fry demanded, grip tightening.

The small female bit back any words trying to escape her throat, confessions that would do nothing for her, admissions to herself that would shatter the protective shell that she built around herself through out the years. She glanced away until all of those words passed. She then turned her attention to the reins that had her eye before. She fiddled with the left one.

"I'm going to take these off for you," Xol said in a plain tone.

"Take off?" Fry echoed with her eyebrows curled up in confusion. Her hold on her former assistant loosened as her attention shifted.

"You shouldn't have to wear these. When my group leaves, I'll take you and whoever else wants to come with us," Xol stated.

Fry continued to appear confused; she just was not understanding what was being said to her. Xol did not bother to explain yet. She just wanted something to distract her, so she decided to remove the reins. She first held the left rein with her right hand and concentrated on the shackle. They both could easily hear the restraint cracking, sounding like splinting wood. Seconds later, the wristband shattered and Xol tore the rein away.

Fry could not believe what she was seeing. She could not find her voice and she could not blink, fearful that she might miss some other miracle from her former assistant. Xol turned her attention to the other rein and treated it the same way. She massaged Fry's wrists once they were free of their restraints.

The revealed flesh was dull and coated with dirt to the point of almost being black. There were crimson rings around where the reins ended. Darkened scabs dotted the area. There were blotches of white and red marring the raw skin.

"How…?" Fry finally managed to squeak out.

"I don't know why, but I've been blessed with these powers. I was told they come from the sun goddess. My band…oh, yeah, I lead a sort of tribe now; they call themselves a pack, but I don't really like the sound of it. But, they say I'm blessed by the sun goddess herself. They even call me Xol," the younger woman explained with a shy half-smile.

"And?" Fry asked because that did not explain how the pale woman was able to break her reins.

"I can do this." Xol held up her right hand and a flame swirled around her fingers for a few seconds.

Fry's face practically hit the floor, mouth wide open and eyes just the same. _By the gods!_ She never would have guessed that her former assistant was _that_ special.

"Sun goddess blessed you much. Can't believe ya grown so much. Not a pup no more. An alpha of clan. Amazing…" Fry almost choked on her emotions and just engulfed Xol into another huge hug. She was close to breaking down into tears again, just overjoyed that her charge was still breathing.

"I guess. I still don't really know what I'm doing. I'm just trying to take care of all of these people…most of whom don't even trust me," the younger woman remarked with a hollow chuckle.

She had not risen in ranks in a positive manner, even though she was led to believe what she did was the only way to rise in rank at the time. She had brutally beaten a good chunk of the group to get where she was—more than once in fact—and she could not find it in her to be proud of that, even though she would do it again if it meant saving Ileana. Some of her own clan was still frightened of her, of her powers, and she disliked that. She did not want to induce fear, knowing what a crippling, painful emotion it could be. But, no matter what she did, nothing seemed to take that fear and distrust away.

"Never expected…" Fry was not sure what to say in regards to her charge's accomplishments. The elder could barely close her mouth, as her jaw seemed to desire nothing more than to hit the floor. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that her little assistant would escape this life and actually end up a leader of her own clan. It was mind-blowing.

The most that Fry could do was just embrace Xol and hope that what she could not say in words could be expressed and felt through her hug. Xol smiled as she returned the embrace once again, feeling quite at ease in the arms of a motherly figure for her. She had thought of the moment that she would see Fry again for four years and now she was more than pleased. The reality was better than the dream here, being held was better than thinking about it, and being welcomed back was much better than wondering about how she would be received.

"I want to take you away from here right now, show you the house that you could live in with me, have people wait on you hand and foot…" Xol whispered, sniffling to keep tears of her own at bay now. For so long, she thought that she lost everyone when she ordered Ileana to flee, but then she remembered that she had Fry. She had a mother and she desired to do any and everything for that mother.

"You still fool," Fry remarked, chuckling a bit at the idea of being spoiled. She rubbed the top of Xol's head, coming close, but missing her ears. The former assistant did not bother with moving her head. They were so overjoyed with each other that their tails swayed wildly behind them, almost knocking over the items around them.

"Come on. I'm not going to leave you down here anymore. I'm not going to leave you anymore," Xol promised and she started tugging Fry toward the kitchen entrance. The elder resisted a little, looking back at her sizzling pan.

"Food…" Fry weakly protested, not moving from her space.

Xol smiled a little and very briefly, her happiness not interrupted by the resistance yet. She turned to look at her mentor. "You can cook all you want, but you don't have to be a slave to do it… If you want me to leave you here, I will, but I don't feel good about it. What do you want?" the younger woman asked, lowering her eyes in shame that she just assumed Fry would want to be with her. Her anxiety began to kick in as she thought that perhaps she was not worth being with and she was very near trembling, something she had not done in years.

Fry could not help smiling. Now, she was seeing the bashful, quiet, almost invisible girl from years ago. She hoped that Xol was still just as sweet as she remembered the girl to be, but she also hoped that Xol was not so easily pressured into doing things.

"'Course I want go, girl. You think I like this?" Fry asked, motioning around the smoky kitchen.

Xol let loose another tiny, shy smile and something that sounded quite like a giggle. She shook her head from side to side to answer her mentor's rhetorical question. She then led Fry out of the kitchen as if she controlled the universe. She held her head high and seemed to dare someone to stop her. The daijinn all watched, but no one said anything. Xol took Fry into parts of the palace that the older daijinn had not seen, even living in the palace most of her life. Xol thought that her mentor's jaw was going to fall off from all of the gawking that she was doing as they went through the main corridor in the wing that the pack stayed in.

"All this?" the elder stated incredulously. Her eyes could not take in enough of the décor. She could not believe that all of what she was seeing was in the same country, let alone the same building, that she lived in.

The petite woman nodded. "I'll introduce you to some of my people soon enough, but for right now, you can stay with me in my room."

Fry could only nod in return; she just could not believe it. She could not believe the castle, she could not believe her charge, and she could not believe that the life Xol wanted to give her and that she had been given freedom. When Xol took her into the room that the pack leader was staying in, Fry's eyes appeared ready to bugle out of her skull. The rich décor was nothing like she had ever seen.

" _Who's this?_ " Ro asked curiously as she seemed to slink over to the entering pair. Fry's head snapped to attention at the surprise presence and the language being spoken.

" _Ro, this is my mentor, Fry_ ," Xol introduced them, glancing between both women.

Ro visibly relaxed after finding out who Fry was. Shoulders slumped from the squared off stature of before and a smile appeared on her caramel face. Fry smiled a little too.

" _Is Fry your real name, elder?_ " Ro asked, respectfully bowing, bending at an almost ninety degree angle. She even kept her eyes on the floor rather than looking the elder in the face.

" _It's been used for so long that it's enough_ ," Fry answered with a slight shrug.

Ro was not sure what to make of that. She looked to Xol for an answer, but Xol did not have any. Ro climbed back to her full height, looking down at the older daijinn.

" _Who are you to this little knucklehead?_ " Fry took a moment to ruffle Xol's hair, so there was no confusion as to whom the knucklehead was.

Silence was the answer for a few tense seconds. Ro and Xol looked at each other, wondering how to respond. Xol offered up her now charming, shy half-smile and shook her head. Ro noticed a light blush staining Xol's cheeks and could not help wrapping her arm around the smaller woman. She held the leader fondly against her, earning a nod from the elder.

" _You found someone else to do things with_ ," Fry remarked with a teasing, but understanding smile.

" _Well…I like Ro…_ " Xol admitted with a shy smile.

" _And I like you!_ " Ro declared with a grin and lifted Xol up. Ro shamelessly planted a kiss right on Xol's lips, which only made her blush more, which was so pronounced on her pale flesh that Fry burst out laughing. The noise caused the couple to turn their attention to Fry.

" _I'm glad you've moved on from the Princess_ ," Fry stated, even though in the back of her mind, she could distinctly remember how Xol acted when she was Rose and when she spoke of the Princess. She thought about how Xol's entire being seemed to pick up when Ileana was around on the rare occasions that she was. She hated to admit, even to herself, Xol's reaction to Ro, while adorably precious, just was not the same.

" _There was nothing to move on from_ ," Xol replied while Ro caressed her back. She would have leaned into Ro, silently requesting more attention, but she did not want to do much with her mentor around.

Fry's body started from that for just a moment and then she went back to normal. _There was nothing for Xol to move on from in regards to the Princess?_ Fry wanted to smack younger woman and call her an outright liar. But, she doubted that would help the situation. It was probably best for Xol to lie to herself and just accept Ro.

" _Ro, are you part of this knucklehead's tribe?_ " Fry asked curiously, pleased with such an easy subject change.

" _Aye. I will follow the little sun goddess anywhere_ ," Ro seemed to boast, grinning widely and once again pressing Xol to her before putting the shorter female down. Xol quickly stood up straight, making it seem like she had not just been a cuddle toy in Ro's long, thick arms.

" _Are they all like you?_ " Fry asked with a smile.

Xol scoffed while Ro glanced away. Ro searched her mind and tried to find the best way to explain how their pack was and the people that were in it. She supposed that there was no need to sugar coat anything; it was not like it was a secret. After all, nothing could be a secret with Mei around, Ro silently thought.

" _To be honest, while many of the people appreciate everything Xol has done for us, most follow her out of fear rather than respect, even though it's quite clear there's nothing to fear. The little sun goddess is quite the kitten_ ," Ro teased, rubbing the aforementioned leader's back some more.

" _You sound like Mei_ ," Xol huffed, puffing out her cheeks and folding her arms across her belly. The other two daijinn controlled themselves enough not to laugh at how adorable Xol looked at that moment.

Ro snorted and rolled her eyes. " _I don't sound anything like that idiot. It's not my fault you're quite laidback and subdued. If they gave you a chance rather than just try to take your position in the dumbest ways, I think everyone would like you_."

Xol shrugged. " _Whether they like me or not, I'm responsible for them and I'll just do what I think is best to keep everyone alive and well. Hopefully, the handful of you that know to speak up in a way that'll make me listen, I can avoid any real mistakes_."

Ro smiled, quite amused, and shook her head while turning her attention back to Fry. " _You raised a modest one here. She's so adorable!_ "

" _You really sound like Mei_ ," Xol stated with a deadpan expression on her face.

" _I never expected such great things from you, even though I knew you were a sweet child. I'm proud of you, pup_ ," Fry commented, smiling almost like a pleased parent. She wished that she could take credit for Xol, but to her, the young woman had created herself. Fry only taught her to cook and scolded her when she thought that child was going to end up getting herself killed thanks to her need to follow the Princess everywhere.

Xol smiled a bit, not expecting to hear those words. When she was younger, Fry never really complimented her. Sure, Fry tried her best to make sure Xol did not feel the pain of being the pariah of the palace daijinn, but it was never through compliments. It was through reassurances and gentle caresses. She had to look down, trying to hide her smile, and a thought floated across her mind.

Xol suddenly found herself wondering why Ileana could not feel such positive things toward her. Why could Ileana not show her such affection… _like she used to?_ Xol shook those thoughts away, telling herself that in the past, Ileana's affections were only those of a girl toward her pet. She tried to block that out of her mind and was thankfully distracted by another proud hug from Fry. She wanted to banish Ileana from her entire being until she had to face the Princess again as a bodyguard.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Ileana and Xol have their showdown.


	29. 28: Another moment of truth

28: Another moment of truth

Ileana stood outside of a room, staring at the large wooden door as if it would solve all of her problems, but also as if it contained all of her troubles. _It is quite the intimidating door_ , she thought, trying to amuse herself. In reality, she was stalling and she knew that she was. She needed to do what she came to do, she ordered herself. She raised a trembling fist to knock, but hesitated. She was not sure why, but she could not bring herself to the point of requesting acknowledgment.

 _Perhaps I should just go back to my room. Surely she would not care for my words now. I mean, what would they mean to her now? Nothing,_ Ileana tried to assure herself.

Shaking that thought away, she once again faced the door, posed to knock, but her hand still did not move. She just could not bring herself to believe that her best friend of ten-plus years, the person that she grew up with, the person that she saw more than her own parents, would not take any stock in her words. It would mean that all of their time together, no matter how confusing it was, meant nothing to Xol and she just could not believe that. She could not bring herself to believe or accept that such a thing could be the truth.

It was with that in mind that she gained the power to knock. There were things that needed to be said and she was not one to shy away when words needed to be spoken. The door opened seconds after she knocked and she was greeted by the giant that had been so close to Xol earlier, Ro. Ileana had not met many people, let alone women, recently that she had to look up to see the person's eyes, but she had to with Ro and she could see heated emotions as the jade eyes narrowed at the sight of her.

"What you want?" Ro growled out, eyes glaring down on the Princess as if trying to crush her.

Ileana tilted her head to the side a bit, quite puzzled as to what was being asked of her. Ro's accent was worse than Fry's, the Princess noted. The whole sentence sounded like garbled noise to the ebony-haired Princess.

"May I please speak to Xol?" Ileana requested, hoping to pass without a problem because she knew that they were going to have a miscommunication if they had to converse for a few more sentences.

"Why?" Ro huffed, moving to stand directly in front of Ileana now. She made sure to flex her muscles, certain that she could break Ileana several times if necessary and wanting Ileana to know that too.

The Princess instinctively knew that she was being challenged and stood her ground. She squared her shoulders in response to Ro's stance. The daijinn snorted while her lip curled up, revealing a sharp canine tooth. Ileana's face seemed to turn to stone, looking cold and hard, daring even, as if she wished that Ro would try something.

"Ro," Xol's mellow voice called from deeper in the room.

Ro eyed Ileana like she was trying to explode the Princess' chest open before turning her head into the room. "Yes?"

" _Let her in_ ," Xol ordered; she had a way of making a command sound so simple and something more like a request or suggestion than anything else. At the worst, her orders sounded like plain sentences without urgency or necessity, but few people tested those orders on the regular basis.

" _Why?_ " Ro demanded to know, lip curling in anger. Thoughts of Xol four years ago, fighting for Ileana, beating down their whole pack stormed into her mind, assaulting her and disturbing her peace, causing tension to tug at her face.

" _She obviously has something to say. I won't deny her that. Besides, it could have something to do with my job_ ," Xol explained in a collected tone. She was sitting on the bed, penning a document.

" _It's not a job if you volunteer_ ," Ro spat hatefully, mouth cut into a deep frown and muscles tense from suspicion and aggravation.

" _Ro, you should remember that we have no claim to each other despite what we do, but also I have even less than that on the Princess_ ," Xol stated calmly.

" _It's not about claim. It's about trust and I don't trust her. You don't owe her anything_ ," Ro pointed out with a growl. It did not help her temper that Xol reminded her that they really did not have a claim on each other. Xol was not hers in any form that was recognized by daijinn law or code. She detested that Xol never seemed interested in claiming each other either.

It was at that point that Ileana lost what little patience she had. She shoved the door open and stepped into the room, almost knocking Ro over. The giantess snarled and was about to grab the Princess by the shoulder, but a held up hand from Xol halted the movement almost immediately. Ro frowned and lowered her hand while Ileana focused her eyes into the room, trying to find exactly where that little body was tucked away on the monster-sized bed. She spotted Xol in between a pile of pillows with a scroll in hand as she jotted things down. A small smile slid onto Ileana's features while a heavy silence reigned over the room.

"Might I speak with you in private?" Ileana requested, eyes focused on her friend.

"No," Ro answered with a snort, earning quite the frosty glare from the Princess.

"I do not believe I was talking to you. I was addressing her," Ileana stated, turning her attention back to Xol, who appeared to be focusing on her document more than anything else.

"And I'm addressing you!" Ro roared, throwing her hands out violently to the side. She desired to wring the Princess' neck, but knew that would not get her anywhere. It would cause a lot of trouble too, trouble no one needed at the moment.

"Ro," Xol said, sitting up and casting her gaze to the arguing pair. " _She's in here to speak her mind. Don't prolong it_."

" _I'm not leaving you alone with her!_ " Ro objected, crossing her arms through the air to emphasis that the idea was out of the question.

" _Why, Ro? She's not going to hurt me. I think we all know that_ ," Xol pointed out.

" _Maybe not physically, no_ ," Ro countered. There was much more to pain than physical injury, though, and they all knew about that. She knew that this princess, this _human_ , had managed to hurt the little sun goddess in past. There was no way that she would allow that again. And there was no way that she was going to leave, knowing that this was the woman Xol had defeated their whole clan for.

"Please, can I talk to you in private? Please, iris?" Ileana implored, hands pressed together like she was a beggar, eyes saying what words could not.

Xol swallowed hard as a lump developed in her throat. Her stomach did tumbles that she was certain should not possible, almost as if it was wrapping itself around the term of endearment that Ileana used. Her mind tried to shut down, hoping to stop the power of those eyes. Even after so long, she could not deny those eyes.

" _Ro, could you leave us be?_ " Xol requested, only sparing the giantess a glance.

" _Leave?_ " Ro hollered, looking at the leader as if she had twelve heads.

Xol made a motion with her hand as if she was brushing something away from her. Ro snarled again, appearing as indignant as possible as she turned around and stomped toward the door. Xol and Ileana watched the giantess leave; neither flinched as she slammed the door so hard that it was a miracle for it to remain in its frame. The pair then calmly turned their eyes back to each other.

Xol tried her best to calm her rapidly beating heart as it stared into the first pair of kind brown eyes that she had ever seen. She tried to remind herself that those eyes were not so kind, telling herself that Ileana had hurt her worst of all…but, she could not quite as readily recall what Ileana had done to wound her so.

Ileana wished that Xol's expression was readable, but it was almost blank. She had never really seen the expression that Xol was wearing; it was probably the closest thing to how a tree would look if it had a face. The Princess swallowed hard, attempting to keep down any emotions that desired to rise, but she did wish to know where she stood with her supposed-former-best-friend. Ileana had to take a very deep breath before she could even start.

"First and foremost, I wish to apologize for how rudely I received you. I know you might not believe it, but I can take care of myself somewhat…" Ileana said, but paused from an interruption.

"I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself. I know you're capable," Xol replied honestly, face unchanging.

"Then why did you take this job as my bodyguard?" Ileana basically demanded to know, letting on just how insulted she felt about the situation. Her well-groomed eyebrows bent in, furrowing her forehead. She was more than capable of handling herself, much more than Xol knew about, so she hated that she was being treated like some fragile female. _Never again will I be left behind because I need someone to save me!_

"I believe you had things that you wanted to say," Xol reminded the upset princess, not looking to get into an argument. There was nothing to argue over, as far as she was concerned. She had been hired to do a job and she would do the job. That was it.

Ileana frowned for a moment, feeling as if she was being brushed off, but then she realized that the smaller teen had a point. She had come there for a reason and it was not to get into an argument with her old friend. She took another breath and placed a calming hand to her forehead before continuing. She looked up at Xol again, making sure to keep eye contact.

"I am so sorry. I have been told I have a bit of a temper. Rose—" Ileana was cut off.

"It's Xol now. Besides, you hate roses anyway," the pale leader pointed out, slumping a bit from that recollection. _Roses were the bane of Ileana's existence_ , her mind reminded and then had the nerve to beg why should she be any different from any other rose.

"You were always my favorite rose," Ileana said with a small, sorrowful smile and a shine in her eyes that could have been hope or tears.

"To be the favorite of something hated doesn't make something special. It is still hated," Xol countered, tension rising in her face and her throat felt like it was being seized in a barbed vice.

"You think I ever hated you?" Ileana demanded, almost screaming, as she tore at her own clothing for lack of a better outlet of her fury, very close to tearing her dress. She rushed the bed with a mission in her step and burning in her belly.

Xol flinched as her guts knotted up from the question and the furious expression on Ileana's face. She did not know what to make of the expression or the reaction. _What do I think?_ She was not sure. It was so hard to think with those deep hazel eyes staring at her, daring her to reconsider what she had accepted as the truth.

"Do you really think that I ever hated you?" Ileana repeated; her voice was a growl now. Her eyes were wild with emotion, flashing with fire behind them, burning intensely. She could not believe that her dearest iris would think so little of her! "How could you…how could you think that?" her voice caught in her throat for a moment and she felt like her heart was going to explode. "How could you think that I ever hated you? You were my precious rose, my dearest iris."

"I was…I was just a pet…" Xol managed to force out of her mouth, trying her best to sound strong and true, but her voice quivered with uncertainty. She tried to will her insides from shaking at the sight of the raw emotion in her former friend's eyes. Ileana looked more disgusted and enraged that Xol thought she hated her than the fact that Viktor thought Ileana needed a bodyguard.

Ileana had to take a deep breath before she dared to speak again, wanting to make sure she did not let her temper get the better of her. "I am truly sorry for that, but I can honestly say that when we were together, I never once thought of you like a pet. I know, thinking back on it, how you came into my life, given to me as a birthday gift, yes, you were supposed to be my pet, but I swear to you I never thought of you like that. In my heart, you were always my best friend, my favorite rose, and my dearest, most precious iris. You were practically my life, meaning more to me than my own life," Ileana explained; her words were strong, but her voice shook from emotion.

The Princess almost did not trust her body at that point; everything seemed tight, but like jelly, trembling, and tying itself into a complete mess. She was not sure what kept her on her feet, nor did she know what kept her eyes on Xol. She remained, as steady as she could, waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

Xol was the one that glanced away. She was sure that if she did not, those deep eyes would destroy her with just the agonized expression that they displayed. An acidic churn started in her system and she knew it was shame and guilt. She had doubted Ileana for all of these years and she really could not remember why. She wondered if time had corrupted her memories, her thoughts, and her general emotions when it came to the Princess. She had listened to all the wrong people and all the wrong voices inside of her when it came to Ileana.

"You never came…" Xol paused as her breath got heavy in her chest. She thought that her ribs might cave in and rupture all of her vital organs.

"I never came?" Ileana echoed the words with a puzzled expression.

"To see me, to save me. When your father put me in the dungeon, he insisted that you hated me and that no one would care if I died…" Xol explained, eyes wide and watery as she looked up at the Princess again.

Ileana moved without thinking, falling to Xol's side. It seemed so natural as she put her arms around the smaller teenager, pulling Xol's frame into her own. Pale arms went around Ileana's waist, clinging to her. Ileana settled in next to the daijinn leader, both of them snuggling into each other. Ileana absently stroked Xol's cheek as she took a moment to ready herself to explain what happened.

Ileana did not like thinking about back then. Back when she feared that Rose was dead and her father had killed her only friend. Not only had he killed her, but he had killed Rose because of her. Even though she knew it was not true, especially now, there were times when the memories haunted her. She used to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming from scenes playing in her mind of her dearest Rose having her head cut off and the King laughing as it happened. The worst was that there was no way for her to confirm it was a nightmare. Everyone in the palace swore that her father had executed her best friend and she was crazy for thinking otherwise.

"My father…he locked me away in my room and sealed all of the exits after he had you taken away. I do not even know how long I was in there. I just cried for so long and then he told me that he killed you. I was so upset with him, so infuriated with him. I never thought that I could be so…outraged. I hated him at that moment, pure, burning, soul-withering hatred. I wanted…" Ileana paused for a moment, swallowing hard because of what she was about to confess. "…I wanted to kill him for what he had done to you…" she admitted in a whisper. She would never forget that moment, the exact moment she hated her father. She would have struck him dead if she could have, if only she could have.

Xol sniffled and tried to swallow everything down as she formulated a response. "…Why…?"

"I am so sorry for all of that, my iris. I am so sorry that you could just be given to me as a gift like that and I am so sorry that you could so easily be taken away and almost murdered because of me," Ileana apologized, losing the war to get her own emotions settled down. She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes and she could only hope that they did not fall.

"It wasn't your fault. I was the one that attacked Garrick," Xol pointed out.

Ileana shook her head and held onto the petite body just a little tighter. "That is not why my father was going to have you beheaded," she informed her friend.

"…Then why?" Xol asked, forehead wrinkled and mouth twisted in bewilderment. She was certain her actions in the courtyard with Garrick had been her undoing because that beast of a man was a guest for the King.

"No, you provided my father with an excuse to have you executed when you leaped at Garrick. My father…he knew…about us…about what we did…" Ileana trailed off as her throat seized on her again. Just talking about it, thinking about it caused a tightness in her chest that hurt her lungs and heart so badly that she swore everything in her torso would explode from the pressure.

"What we did? What did we do?" Xol asked, shaking her head as if that would make her recall doing something worth getting her head cut off for. No serious offense came to mind, though. Had he been ready to behead her for sneaking around the palace with Ileana? For going outside of the palace with her? Was her life worth so little that he would kill her for those things?

Ileana's eyes widened as if she had been shot in the stomach by those words and she pulled away from her friend. "You mean, you…you do not recall? You forgot our nights together? Did they truly mean so little to you?" she hissed heatedly, wanting so badly to be able to disappear now before tears started to fall. She had thought those nights meant something to her shorter friend, meant something deeply.

"We spent many nights together…" Xol pointed out, silently wishing to be embraced again. She could not find an offense in one of the nights that they had shared. And then she recalled the scolding that she got from Fry when the cook smelled the Princess on her one day. Her face nearly fell off her skull.

"How could those nights slip your mind? Because you now have Ro? They mean little to you?" the Princess demanded as the tears poured down her cheeks like twin storms, clouding her eyes. Suddenly, she grabbed Xol and held her even tighter than before, as if that would make everything better. She wanted to lash out at Xol, but all she could do was cling to her tighter, hold her closer, will her to remember.

Xol just held Ileana right back, wishing that she knew what she had done to cause the Princess such distress. What had they done worth her being killed for? She wondered if the King found out about their trips into the city, but those happened in the day most of the time and she did not see why those would cause Ileana such pain. And then it hit her as she realized what Ileana was implying and why she brought up Ro.

"You think I could ever forget the nights where I did things with you? The nights that I tasted you? You still haunt my tongue like some sweet ghost. You were the sun in my dim world, the full moon of my darkest night, and you actually think I could forget any of that?" Xol asked incredulously.

There were times, even before she left, where all Xol could think about was laying with Ileana. Sometimes, she would stare at her hands, remembering the feel of her Ileana, the slick, soft skin writhing underneath her. In the still of certain nights, she swore that she could hear the tiny mews that escaped Ileana when they were together. And at the strangest times, the taste of the Princess would settle on her tongue and there was nothing that she could do to banish. When that happened, everything that she ate or drank that day would taste like Ileana. No, she could never forget those nights.

"I was so selfish on those nights, always taking from you and I knew we should not have been doing such actions—" Ileana was cut off.

"Why not? I enjoyed those nights and you did too. We liked 'doing things'—" It was Xol's turn to be interrupted.

"Such activities between two women are not proper," Ileana stated. She would not have even thought such actions could happen between two females if she had not been on the receiving end.

"Maybe to humans, but my kind, we like who we like. We do 'things' with those we like. I like you. I have liked you in ways I can't even begin to describe. I like you as the sun likes the moon, wanting to always share space with you. That's why I did those things and I would do them again, even if I knew it could cost me my head!" Xol declared with passion that surprised the Princess.

Xol always knew, underneath it all, the lies that she told herself were lies to heal wounds that came from losing the person that she cared most about in the world. She knew that she would never feel the emotions that she felt for Ileana with anyone else and she had known that for a long time. Only now she would admit that Mei was totally right; she was mated to Ileana. Ileana was the person that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She was not sure if the feelings were returned, which was another reason to lie to herself, to tell herself that she got over the Princess and to try to change her memories, to take away to agony and to go on living.

Ileana was speechless for a moment. The strength of her friend's voice had struck chords in her that she ever did not know were there or she had forgotten about. She could almost feel the intensity of Xol's emotions burning into her own body, igniting fires that had long ago turned into little more than a pile of ash. She wanted to return that fervor to show that she cared about Xol just as much. She wanted to show Xol everything that she shied away from so many years ago and she knew that needed to do that thanks to the past few years. She had no desire to ever regret anything when it came to her best friend again. She never wanted to miss an opportunity with Xol again.

"You know, I have so many regrets when it comes to you, so much guilt. I made us miss so many things because I refused to admit my true feelings. One of the biggest reasons for my regrets and all my guilt is I never did allow us to have a proper kiss," Ileana commented in low voice as she turned to look directly into Xol's golden eyes, which seemed to spark to life at that very moment.

Ileana was moved forward by those golden eyes, letting her know that everything was still there. She did not have anything to regret, not with the moment there. She brought up a soft hand to a pale cheek, caressing the slightly chubby area with her thumb. She slowly leaned down, showing her intent and giving Xol ample time to pull away. The pack leader remained right where she was, heart racing as she waited for something that she wanted for years now.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: things progress to what both females crave.


	30. 29: The sun and the moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: there's some naughty bits…in pretty much the whole chapter. Come back later (the next chapter) if intimate situations bother you.

29: The sun and the moon

The Princess' eyes slid closed as she touched her lips to Xol's mouth. The small daijinn did not close her eyes, just watching Ileana's face. At first, it was out of fear that Ileana was going to pull away, but the fear quickly gave way to intrigue. Her focus on Ileana's face was pure fascination, knowing that she would love nothing more than to wake up to that face for the rest of her life. For a few seconds, they remained completely still, feeling as if their breath was passing from one to the other, giving them both life.

Xol slowly brought up an arm to wrap around Ileana's shoulders and pulled her ever so slightly closer. Ileana instinctively moved her lips against Xol's as they pressed into each other, deepening the kiss. Xol was only a step behind the Princess and responded to the show of affection, briefly wondering if she was dreaming or if she managed to die and go to heaven. Little did she know, but Ileana was wondering the same thing. They had both had this exact dream many times over the past few years, after all.

Through the limited and somewhat tentative connections of their lips, both ladies were certain that they were somehow exchanging essences. It felt like light and sweetness were flowing out of one and into the other. Xol thought that she might flood Ileana from the emotions that she had dammed up inside of her for so long because the kiss was breaking at the barrier, shattering the stone in her heart. Ileana felt something awakening in her soul and seemed to illuminate her whole body. The feelings did not dispel when they pulled away for air. They did not even break away very far; there was barely a hair of space between them and they practically shared breath with each other.

"I've wanted to do that for so long…" Xol confessed, casting her eyes downward for a moment from her shyness sneaking out. It was chaste as far as kisses went, but it was still the best kiss of her life. It was everything that she expected from a show of affection involving the Princess.

"I think I have wanted it for just as long, but I was too scared to admit it to myself until I thought I lost you forever. I regretted so much, felt so much guilt, thinking everything was my fault," Ileana said, tears still falling as she leaned her forehead against Xol's.

"I wanted this too. You don't have to feel guilty. It felt so right doing things with you, to you," Xol replied, sneaking a little peck on those delicious lips of Ileana's. Before she pulled away completely, Ileana returned the kiss, causing the daijinn leader to smile a bit. That brief action made her believe that kissing was definitely not going to be one time thing. She hoped that there would be more kissing in the immediate future.

"I enjoyed it too, even though I was ashamed. We were not supposed to be doing that, but I wanted to so badly. Some nights, I would purposely work myself up, so that you would come to me and touch me as only you could," Ileana admitted, praying that she did not upset Xol with that bit of information. She felt like such a sneak for doing such a thing, playing her friend, manipulating her friend, but not wanting to admit her feeling to herself. _I'm a horrible person_.

"I know. I didn't mind and it wasn't really like you were tricking me. I always wanted you, so you wanting me back was only a good thing," the short warrior commented with a small half-smirk. "If it makes you feel any better, I forgive you for it."

The Princess breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for that. I think I did need it. I am sorry I never let you have your kiss, always turning my head and giving you my cheek. I should have stayed still. I'm sure it would have been incredible, like everything else with you," she remarked.

"I just got my kiss. I hope to have many more," Xol quipped with a tiny, hopeful smile.

Ileana smiled, taking the not-so-subtle hint. The pair shared another kiss. The second kiss was much deeper and more passionate kiss. It lasted much longer than the first one. The Princess did not think such a simple motion, pressing lips together and moving them against each other, could feel so wonderful. Ileana thought that she might burst into flames while Xol actually glanced at her right arm to make sure that it was not somehow causing the fire burning through her veins at the moment. As they pulled away, a scent hit Xol's nose as she was trying to catch her breath and she was pretty sure her blood transformed into molten lava, as it was the only to explain why she felt like her insides were being boiled.

The Princess' chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath and dose the inferno spreading through her. No such luck on the latter as she felt heat shoot to parts of her body that she had not paid attention to in many years. She stared into Xol's eyes, wondering if her friend knew. She could tell from the almost starving look in those golden eyes that Xol was more than aware of what was going on, but she did not move as she would have done in the past. Ileana knew it was on her to progress anything that might happen.

Ileana came in for another kiss, more controlled than their last one, but just as hot and growing in passion by the second. Ileana had little clue as to what she was doing, but continued on. Even something as simple as a kiss was foreign to her, having had no interest in romance as she matured and only now finding her hormones making themselves known. The longer the kiss, the more instinct drove Ileana and she reached for Xol, cupping her cream-colored face to make the kiss infinitely deep and eternally connecting.

For a brief moment, Xol took the lead because she wanted more and it seemed that Ileana was unaware that there was more to give. Xol gently lapped at Ileana's lower lip, begging for entrance. Ileana did not know the signal, but got the idea as she felt Xol's tongue pass over her lips several times. She opened her mouth for Xol and their tongues met. Ileana slowly explored Xol's mouth and stroked her friend's tongue with her own. Ileana had to shudder from the feeling of pure bliss that she felt. When she pulled away that time, Ileana did not care for air. She just cared for more skin.

Xol whimpered as feather-light kisses floated across her cheeks. The kisses ended up lower, wet lips hitting her neck and throat with a purpose. Xol clung to Ileana as the Princess paused at Xol's pulse, feeling the rapid beat against her lips. She then took a long, juicy nip at the area. Xol hissed, fingers finding purchase in the cloth covering Ileana's surprisingly strong shoulders and she pressed herself closer, trying to feel more of those precious lips against her blazing hot flesh.

Ileana figured that since she was getting such a great response, she might as well keep her actions up. She wanted to know more of Xol's body and the smaller woman did not seem to object to that plan. In order to go further along, she had to remove an obstacle in her path, though. She tugged at Xol's shirt while kissing her way back up to Xol's mouth. She placed few quick kisses on willing lips before pausing the action to speak.

"May I take this off?" Ileana requested, tugging at the shirt again.

"You can take off anything you want, just don't stop," Xol replied in a breath. She had never felt so alive and she was so sure that she would actually die if anything halted what they had going at the moment. Unless, of course, she was already dead, which she was not willing to rule out. She could have died and gone to heaven, she silently considered. She had no problem with that either!

Ileana smiled impishly at that response and yanked Xol's shirt off over her head, flinging it somewhere behind them. She was about to go right back to where she left off, but she decided to take a moment and see what treasure she had uncovered. She had to let out a long breath when she witnessed the body the shirt had hidden from her. Xol's body screamed of both power and sexiness, muscles and curves in places that Ileana would worship if given the chance.

Hazel eyes came to rest on familiar black lines that extended far beyond what she remembered. She lightly traced a thick, curved line from Xol's forearm up to her shoulder. She then placed a soft kiss to the lines creeping out toward Xol's collarbone. The attention caused Xol to whimper and moan.

"How did you make them grow?" Ileana asked in a whisper between adoring kisses.

"I haven't quite figured it out, but each time I use the fire, they get a little longer. Sometimes…when I used to think of you…they would grow. I think you're the reason I even have this power. They say I've been blessed by the sun goddess and maybe I have, but I wouldn't have that blessing if it wasn't for you," Xol replied through a series of light moans and purrs. _I don't think I'll be able to keep answering questions if she keeps this up_. _I can barely think as it is_.

"Why do you think that?" Ileana inquired, still speaking quite low, but sounding quite curious. She placed a few more kisses on the lines.

"Out of the first three times I used the power, it was to protect you. The power showed up when I wanted to save you. And when I used to think about you, my arm would tingle as my heart cried out." Xol bit her lip as she admitted that. She had blocked out that her heart used to wail for the Princess some days, some weeks. She had to put up walls around the troublesome organ, just so that she could make it through the day.

"My heart yearned for you too and I now know it was more than just regret, guilt, and anger that you left me. I felt broken without you, incomplete," Ileana confessed. She had been feeling like half a person for the last four years.

"I did too," Xol confessed.

Ileana let loose a sob at those words and she had planned to keep talking, but she could not. She attacked Xol's mouth with her own for another soul-scorching kiss. Xol wanted more and requested entrance to Ileana's mouth by licking at her bottom lip, but once again Ileana did not recognize the signal. The Princess kept her lips sealed and pressed against her friend's mouth. Xol did not make another attempt because she felt curious hands exploring her shoulders and her back, causing a purr to ripple through her throat.

The Princess groaned as she felt the cuts of Xol's muscles at her fingertips, running her hands up and down Xol's back. She was mentally debating with herself if she was going to be bold enough to try the front of Xol's torso. The temptation and promise of heavenly things proved too much for the taller woman and her hands glided from the back to Xol's sides, caressing the silky skin with all the care in the world. Xol whimpered, wanting so much more, but not moving to make it happen. She wanted to know how much the Princess was willing to give and she was not going to interrupt that flow just to sate her long dormant desires.

While her hands were busy, Ileana decided to make some use of her mouth and go back to tasting more of her friend. She kissed her way down Xol's neck, going to the area uncovered when she removed Xol's bothersome shirt. She touched her lips to the tops of Xol's breasts and made camp in the valley between the two small mounds, but did not pay either hill much attention, earning pleading whimpers from the shorter teen. Xol's self-control was starting to tug at her, begging her to take over. She was ready to give in to that desire if it would put a stop the wonderful torment that the Princess was putting her through.

"Patience," Ileana whispered, sensing that Xol was about to have a breakdown. The single word calmed the pale female down enough for Ileana to continue on with her exploration. She had gone this far, she believed that she could go farther. She definitely wanted to go farther and knowing that her friend wanted the same only made the heat in her body sizzle hotter.

Long fingers crawled Xol's body as if they were cutting little paths of ecstasy into her form as reminders that they were there. Each hand went their separate ways, seeking out individual goals, and succeeding. Ileana ran her palms over her prizes, twin mounts that she believed fit perfectly in her hands, as if they were made to be in her palms. Xol moaned loudly and almost fell over because of the sensation that shot through her with more intensity than anything that she had ever felt. It was like being punched in the stomach, but instead of pain, she felt sheer pleasure.

Ileana smiled internally, hearing Xol make such noises and knowing that she was the cause of the sounds. Pride sprouted in her and it made her press forward, desire calling out for more delectable skin. Her kisses began to drift to the left, like a sailboat caught in a breeze. She felt Xol squirming from want, but she did not rush herself as she continued molding the mass in her hand and kissing it for all she was worth. She could feel Xol's heart beating heavily underneath her lips and she dragged her tongue over the hardworking organ.

"Mine," Ileana whispered, almost hissing in possession and certainly not in the way a person would possess a pet. Xol was hers for the simple fact that Xol completed her. She was not whole without Xol.

"Yes," Xol breathed out. Hell, she was trying to give herself to the Princess right now, but Ileana was taking things painfully slow.

Ileana felt like clouds were soaring through her system because of the light feeling that she got when Xol agreed with her. She gracefully and gently led her tongue across the treat in her hand and went to the center of the treasure. She paused, just to take in the sight of the hardened gem waiting for her attention. She did not hesitate as she took the pink pearl into her mouth, rolling it with her tongue and lips.

Xol screamed and clawed at Ileana's back, not tearing her shirt, even though she would not have minded if she did. She wanted Ileana out of the damned thing, wishing to feel flesh against her own heated skin. She had to consciously tell herself to wait, though. Ileana was in charge of the pace and she needed to just surrender herself to the wonderful sensations. Xol completely relaxed, giving herself over to the overwhelming delight, cancelling any thinking on her part.

The Princess seemed content to stay where she was, suckling as she had a piece of candy in her mouth. Her hand decided to move on, thinking that her mouth was being a selfish hog of the treasure the hand first discovered. Her left hand shifted its attention to stroking Xol's abdomen. She traced a groove of muscle, trying to memorize the dents of Xol's abs. Her fingers brushed up against Xol's pants and she knew immediately that she needed to get rid of those.

Ileana was about to ask for permission to remove Xol's pants, but she remembered that she had permission to take anything off as long as she did not stop. She fumbled with Xol's slacks, trying to figure out how they were secured shut. She found a knot and guessed that they were closed with a drawstring, so she began working on that knot with her left hand because her right hand refused to abandon Xol's left breast. It was not an easy task to get that knot loose with her left hand and Xol wiggling around from the jolts of bliss shaking her lithe form.

Xol caught on that her pants were being taken off, so she decided to give some help. She shifted, moving the pants further down her thighs. Ileana pushed the pants down passed Xol's knees and she took care of the rest, kicking the useless gear away for the moment. Ileana's hand traveled across Xol's bare thigh, going from the outside to the inside. Xol moved a bit, trying to push her body down to meet the probing hand.

"Ileana…" Xol whined. _Self-control be damned_ , she thought. _Pride be damned too!_ She could not take much more of such treatment and remain sane!

"Hmm?" Ileana replied, not wanting to talk because that would mean her mouth would have to leave its now favorite food.

"You're being quite cruel," Xol said in a breath.

Ileana nodded, just to show that she heard. She moved her hand higher, briefly touching the center of her friend's being. Xol bucked, yearning for more contact. She thought that she might get what she needed, but then Ileana suddenly pulled away. Xol appeared crushed, her whole expression falling, her demeanor dropping, thinking that might be it.

Ileana did not explain what she was doing, just trying to work the buttons on her vest as quickly as possible. She realized that she desired to feel Xol's delightful body against her own, wiggling against her, arching against her like she used to do with Xol. She flung her vest somewhere behind her, and started to get out of her plain dress, revealing a matching corset underneath. Xol licked her lips at the sight and almost requested that Ileana leave the corset on. The way it pushed her breasts up and made it seem like they were going to spill out had always fascinated Xol.

"Help me, please," Ileana requested desperately, turning her back to Xol and flipping her river of ebony hair over her chocolate shoulder.

Eager fingers worked the laces to free Ileana of the contraption. While Xol was taking care of the corset, Ileana removed the last undergarment that she was wearing. Her corset fell from her body and she was about to turn back around to Xol, but she was stopped. Something on her back had Xol's attention for a moment.

"Ileana, what are these lines on your back?" Xol inquired curiously. They looked rather familiar, much like her own marks.

"I do not know what they are. A few years ago a servant noticed them while bathing me and I had just assumed they were scars. It is quite difficult for me to get a good look at them," the Princess explained.

Xol tenderly traced them. "They look like my marks, but not as thick. This symbol at the base of your neck, I have been told is the symbol daijinn use to represent the moon." What she suspected as the origin point of Ileana's mark was a circle the size of a fingertip. The inside of the circle was half black with a slight curve in the certain, as if it was a half-moon. From there several thin, onyx lines curled and twisted around her shoulders and down her spine.

"They have been growing steadily since the marks were first discovered. Do you think they mean anything?" Ileana asked.

"I think…I think you are my moon…" Xol breathed. Ileana's marks had to be connected to her, she thought. She had learned quite a bit about her blessing and knew that the blessing was connected to her mate. She wondered if Ileana's marks grew whenever hers did, which would definitely prove they were connected and that Ileana was the person she was supposed to be with for the rest of her life.

Something inside of Ileana told her being Xol's moon was a huge thing and it caused her to turn around. Golden eyes went wide as she took in the Princess in all of her glory. The sheer look on Xol's face made Ileana feel beyond beautiful. No one had ever looked at her with such adoration and love. She did not want anyone to look at her like that, except for Xol, she realized.

"By the sun…" Xol muttered, staring in disbelief. She bit her bottom lip as her breathing increased. Her mind demanded the impossible—that she move her hands and mouth everywhere on that chocolate body at the same time. "You're actually the goddess," Xol breathed out, fighting to stay conscious as her brain was being overloaded with information on this new, completely adult Ileana.

Ileana smiled; Xol's reaction just helped her courage along. She returned to the bed, crawling into Xol, who moved back some to make sure Ileana's taller form fit entirely on the massive bed. Xol's hands went back to Ileana's shoulders while the Princess came in for another blazing kiss, setting both of their bodies on fire.

They both cried out as they felt their skin touching. Ileana almost collapsed on top of Xol because of the sheer beauty of touching her so completely. It did not help when Xol arched, pressing a heated center against her abdomen, igniting both of their passions even more. And then the way Xol moaned, Ileana was fairly certain that she could either get used to it or be driven mad by it.

"Do you want me to beg? Is that it?" Xol asked quite seriously, breaking their kiss while she was at it. She would beg right now and for the rest of the night if that were the case.

"Actually…" Ileana blushed a bit, glancing away in sheer embarrassment. "I'm trying to remember what you used to do to me."

Xol smiled a little. "Stop thinking so much," she said, tapping her friend on her forehead, as if trying to turn her mind off.

Ileana took that advice and focused more on the body below her again. A fresh kiss was started, and hands wanted to go traveling again. Xol's hands gently explored the uncharted territory of the Princess' back. She tugged and kneaded muscles, delighting nerve-endings. Everything in Ileana's body seemed to dance as it slowly felt like Xol's hands were everywhere.

Ileana wanted nothing more than to return the pleasure that she was receiving and finish what she started. Her hands began wandering while she propped herself up on her elbow to avoid crushing her friend. One hand sought out the place where Xol needed her the most. Her fingers tested the area that was so new to her, finding the place to be smooth as silk and she was enchanted by the feel as Xol moved against her.

"Are you going to allow me to do any work?" Ileana asked with a teasing smile.

Xol snorted, but could not respond as Ileana stroked her as if her body was the most fascinating thing on the planet. Xol howled, moving in time with Ileana, hands clutching rich brown shoulders. Suddenly, she felt the soft skin slipping away from her and noticed Ileana making her way down her body.

Ileana glanced up, seeing that Xol was watching her. She felt a little self-conscious about that, but she used to watch Xol do it all of the time. When she found herself on level with the core of her friend, she got an idea of what Xol used to go through, inhaling her friend's pure aroma. She doubted that she would ever get drunk off of the scent like Xol did, but she certainly felt the need to explore.

An eager tongue shot out for the first taste, letting the tangy sensation roam over curious taste buds. Ileana made it her business to kiss her new destination just as passionately as she kissed Xol's mouth. Her fingers continued their search, discovering the very center of Xol and earning a loud shriek as she took the plunge, diving deep into the treasure that was Xol with her index finger.

The small warrior started panting as Ileana got a rhythm. Xol clenched her eyes shut, clawed at the mattress, and locked her legs around Ileana's neck as she felt wave after wave of endless ecstasy carry her to heaven. Ileana paused her efforts as Xol reached the heights of passion. Ileana just marveled over watching Xol fall over the edge while feeling the smaller female pulse around her finger. It was an amazing sensation and Ileana knew that she would want to feel it again and again.

"Wow…" Xol muttered, chest heaving as she finally came down from her high. "Is this how I used to make you feel?" she wondered aloud. She knew that no one ever made her feel that way. It had to be the bond that she shared with Ileana that made everything feel so much better.

Ileana laughed a bit as she crawled back up Xol's body and smiled down at her friend. "I am sure you did a much better job, but I am glad to make you feel so good."

"You'd make me feel better if you kissed me," Xol remarked.

Ileana smiled again and decided to follow through with that not-so-subtle hint. They settled down on the bed as they pulled away for air and cuddled into each other, both feeling whole for the first time in a long time.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: reactions to what just happened.


	31. 30: Aftershocks

30: Aftershocks

Xol was asleep. It was the deepest, most peaceful rest that she had ever experienced in her life. It was like for that moment, everything in her world, in her universe was right. She was curled into Ileana's taller frame, using her shoulder as a pillow. Her arms were loosely wrapped around Ileana's waist, fingers occasionally moving and brushing against the Princess' hip. The soothing sound of Ileana's heart and gentle, natural scent of the Princess kept Xol in her contented, coma-like state.

Ileana was awake, smiling to herself while her fingers danced along Xol's spine, marveling at the feel of skin that she was certain she would never get enough of now. She wondered how she had made it the past four years without the constant, soothing, promising presence of her "dear, little iris." She doubted that she would be able to make it through an hour without Xol now. She wanted to always be with Xol now.

 _What am I to do when she leaves then?_ Ileana asked herself. She did not have an answer and she decided to drop the thought for the time being. She needed to live in the moment, she told herself. She would worry herself sick if she started thinking beyond where she was now.

In the moment, she was the happiest that she been in a long time. She felt incredible in every sense of the word. It was like everything in her world was right just because Xol was resting next to her after she had…well, she supposed that the correct term would be made love to Xol. She did not even think that "made love" covered what they did. It felt so much deeper than that.

 _She touches me in a way that I would scoff at if anyone told me of such a feeling if only it was not happening directly to me. Does she feel this way too? Did she feel that way in the past when I was so oblivious and just felt like we were the best of friends?_ Ileana wondered.

She could only assume for the moment since she could not read Xol's thoughts, but she believed that her little iris was aware of their feelings long before she ever considered the emotions possible. She pulled Xol a little closer to her, holding the smaller body just a little tighter. She sighed, sounding and feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. _So much to make up for and precious little time to do it, even though I now doubt an eternity would be enough time to be with my iris._

"I have to make the most of what we have," Ileana muttered to herself as she absently caressed a cream-colored bicep.

Xol made a mewing sound in her sleep, causing a smile to spread across Ileana's lips. She settled her head on top of Xol's, cuddling into the soft locks that still managed to smell like honey. She closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep of her own.

-8-8-8-8-

Ro walked back toward the room with Mei and Kwen. Mei was going on and on about the things that she found while exploring the palace, which she wanted to tell Xol about. Ro was listening while Kwen was wondering how hard he would have to hit Mei to shut her up. The only thing that stopped him from finding out was that they arrived at their destination. All three daijinn made faces as a strong odor practically punched them in the gut. Mei then grinned and laughed hysterically.

" _She didn't_ ," Kwen growled as he backed away, hoping to fall into a neutral zone as far as smell went.

" _I knew it. Soul mates, like the gods themselves_ ," Mei boasted, putting her hand over her nose. As happy as she was, she really could do without that scent.

" _How could she?_ " Ro snarled and she took a powerful step toward the door, like she was about to barge in, but Mei grabbed her by the arm and started tugging her away from the door.

" _Come on, Ro. You don't have any claim to the boss and you know as well as the rest of us that she was destined to mate with the princess_ ," Mei argued, having some trouble pulling Ro away now that the slightly taller woman was resisting. She knew that she was being unfair to Ro, knowing that Ro had feelings for their leader, but Ro had no claim on Xol. They all knew, even if they did not want to admit it to themselves, Xol's heart and soul belonged to the human princess.

" _How can you be so calm and collected with her betraying us like this?_ " Ro roared, tearing her arm away from the calm warrior and trying to stalk back over to the door. Mei grabbed her again and put more strength in pulling Ro away. She had more success now.

" _She didn't betray us. Her heart lay with Ileana since the first day and we all knew that. She became our alpha because she was trying to protect Ileana. For the past few years, she had been trying to deny that part of herself existed, staying with us and listening to everyone badmouth her human. It even got to point where she acted as if she agreed. She's finally being true to herself and you know that. Are you going to tear her away from that and drag her back to us?_ " Mei demanded to know, growling somewhat because of the other female's sudden selfishness.

" _Yes!_ " Ro screamed with a roaring fire in her eyes. She flexed her muscles as if she was trying to threaten Mei to get smaller daijinn to release her.

" _Ay, you're going to wake her up with all of that yelling!_ " Kwen pointed out and he helped Mei pull Ro away. They started moving down the hall again, not Ro was not going gently.

" _What're you doing? You're siding with her?_ " Ro hollered in disbelief, baring her teeth at the large male. She was tempted to fight them both, but she knew that she would lose against the two fighters.

" _I'm not siding with anybody. I just know that if shit goes down, we need the chief fresh and ready to go. This is not the time to drop bombs on her and divide our group. We need her at her best_ ," Kwen stated intensely. There were too many people depending on their success in the mission for him to just let Ro's emotional state ruin everything.

" _Wow, Kwen, hanging out with Yu must be rubbing off on you. That was…profound and intelligent, which aren't things I tend to associate with you_ ," Mei remarked with a teasing smile, but she did mean it. She was not sure the last time that Kwen had made a decent point or even when he used brain to solve anything.

" _Shut the hell up!_ " Kwen snorted and glared at Mei for a moment.

" _That's more like you_ ," Mei said with a laugh.

" _So what do you think we should do? Just drop this matter and pretend it didn't happen? She betrayed us!_ " Ro growled, gesturing to the room with a violent sweep of her hand.

" _She didn't betray us. You're just upset at the moment because you really like Xol and, though, she liked you, it's not the same feeling that she has for Ileana. We all knew that. Now, you either chose to ignore it or you're blocking it out right now because you're upset_ ," Mei argued in her typical, composed manner, which just pissed Ro off even more.

Ro reached out and grabbed Mei by the shoulder, crushing the bone. She growled, getting up in Mei's face while shoving her against the wall. Mei did not appear flustered; her face did not even change as Ro glared down at her and increased the pressure on her shoulder. Mei wanted to wince, but kept the pained noise at bay, refusing to let Ro know just how much she was hurting from the hold.

" _You don't scare me, Ro. Yes, you're a strong warrior and in the old system you did outrank me, but I'm not scared. We're going to deal with this matter, but you have to put things in the proper order, like Kwen said. We need this job. We need food and clothing for everyone that we left on that island. The boss' personal life isn't more important than the whole pack, even if it involves you. Besides, if you start this now, you know we're going to have a big fight and you know things are going to tear the pack up the moment you bring this up. So, let's work this in the right order_ ," Mei calmly implored the taller female.

Ro snorted, but her grip eased up a little. It took a few seconds, but she dropped her hand to the side. She ran her hand through her hair, turning her eyes away. Mei stood up properly and stared at Ro for a moment, trying to gauge if she got through the fierce warrior.

" _This is awful…I don't understand why she would do this. Why would she betray me? Why would she betray us? Why would she do this to her pack?_ " Ro begged to know, sounding lost and confused.

" _She's not betraying us, Ro. She was never really with us. She did try to be with you, but she was lying to herself. She was trying to move on, probably never expecting to see that human again. But, facts are facts, Xol is mated to that human, no matter how crazy we might think it is. She's lived her life for that woman. Everything she does is for that woman and we can't change that. Yes, she lived with us and led us rather well, but this is where her heart and soul has always been. No matter what we've told her through out her time with us, only she truly knows that woman and that woman means the world to her. This is where her happiness is. That human—that woman is the moon to our sun. She is the Xin to Xol_ ," Mei answered.

They all knew that because Xol had fought them all that day to make sure that no harm came to Ileana, so she did not understand why Ro was acting as if it was such a surprise. The whole pack knew, but Mei could now see that they refused to acknowledge their leader's strange taste. It would explain why they never spoke about it; there were never even whispers about Xol's inclinations toward her human. They would always just insist that Xol had lived as a pet when she was with the Princess and they made sure Xol knew that. It took almost a year for Xol to show signs of believing it. Mei had never seen the trouble in that since they never planned to see Ileana again. How wrong she was!

Ro turned away and stormed off, apparently not ready to accept _that_ truth. Mei and Kwen watched her go. Mei then turned her grinning face to Kwen, earning an immediate glare for him.

" _Don't say a damn thing_ ," Kwen ordered, pointing a threatening finger at her. Of course, he knew that would not stop her, but he had to try.

" _Not one? But, I was so right about the boss! I knew she was going to go for it! She has the sun goddess' blessing just from protecting that woman! Do you know how intense your emotions have to be for you to get solar tears?_ " Mei begged to know, smiling all the way through her words. "Solar tears" was the name for Xol's ability to produce fire because it was said that the sun goddess cried tears of flames when her beloved moon was in grave danger from hostile forces. From that legend, it was gathered that the sun goddess' blessing came from the feelings one had for a loved one, feelings that were as intense as the true Xol's emotions were for her dear Xin.

" _First off, it's a myth or legend or whatever the hell you want to call it that the sun goddess' blessing comes from intense emotions for a mate. Xol says she's trained in fighting from watching warriors and mimicking them. She's been training as a fighter for a long time, so it probably came from that. It is a damned good defense, after all_ ," Kwen replied rather dismissively, waving her off.

" _Which one of us here knows daijinn folklore?_ " Mei inquired with a scolding glint in her eyes. She was not going to let him just brush her off, not when she was so certain that she was right.

" _I don't give a damn if you know the sun goddess herself, I don't think her feelings for that damned human had anything to do with the fact that she can kick ass and lead one hell of a pack_ ," Kwen declared.

Mei sighed and rolled her eyes. " _Uncultured dog. You'd think you'd like to know a little bit about your damn heritage._ "

" _Oh, you want to tell me your little stories like you do with the chief? I'm not her and I'm not a kid. I'm not interested in hearing your little stories. I'm interested in living. Tell me a fucking story when life gets easier_ ," Kwen proclaimed before walking off.

Mei rolled her eyes again and walked off in another direction. She tried not to think of what Xol set up by following her heart, but she was happy for their little leader. For the past four years, she had been able to easily see that something was missing from Xol's life. Those golden eyes had always looked so empty and lost, no matter what good Xol was able to do. Nothing was ever fulfilling enough to put a spark in Xol's eyes, but she remembered the little time that she had seen Xol with Ileana. She could almost feel their emotions radiating off of them back then.

"Considering all I know the boss has gone through, and I know there's much more to her life that I don't know about, if she can be happy this way, I have to give it up to her," Mei said to herself with a shrug. She doubted that everyone else would take it so easily, though.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol let loose a small moan as she shifted in her sleep, unhappy that she was waking up. She tried to tell her brain to just go back to sleep; she was having the best sleep and she wanted it to continue. Really, she was trying to keep time from moving forward, so that she could live in this moment forever. But, her brain was not going with that plan and refused to go back to sleep. She opened her eyes, seeing a plane of cocoa skin; a smile curled onto her face.

"Now, this is something I could get used to seeing," Xol muttered, kissing the exposed flesh. _I want to be able to wake up like this always and forever_.

"And what is that, my little iris?" Ileana inquired, revealing that she was awake. Her hand automatically began caressing Xol's bare back.

"I've always liked waking up next to you. When I was little, I took it for granted and then I was forced to sleep in my own bed…I always had nightmares. Whenever I slept next to you, I never had them. I started having them a lot these past four years too, seeing things like you saying you hated me or having visions of my death and you laughing upon hearing the news—" Xol was cut off as Ileana hugged her closer.

"Never. I would never hate you or laugh if you died. I cannot even imagining you dying. I had nightmares of it and could not sleep for days after such scenes played out in my head. Sometimes, I feared that you actually had died and I imagined our time in the woods together. I never want to hear talk of you dying again. I want you to live forever and be with me just as long. I also want us to talk to each other to make sure we do not allow time or distance to corrupt our memories. It was such hell thinking that you preferred your pack to me," Ileana said.

"You are my moon, Ileana. The only light in my world, especially when things are at their darkest. You shine brightest when everything else seems so bleak to me and help me see the light. Never think otherwise. No one could replace you in my soul and because of that, I am yours. I will always be yours," the golden-eyed warrior stated.

Ileana turned to look Xol directly in the face and found herself unable to respond because of the intense expression in those golden eyes. She just leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Xol's lips. The pack leader returned the kiss with as much passion as she could muster. She whimpered when Ileana withdraw from need of air.

"I am yours too. Please, stay with me now and forever," Ileana implored in a whisper.

Xol smiled and answered with another kiss, more heated than before. She ended up crawling on top of Ileana, pressing their bodies together. Ileana did not seem to mind; her hands roamed up and down Xol's strong back, trying to memorize the area with her fingertips.

"Will you stay with me forever?" the Princess asked as they parted for oxygen once again. She moved one hand to caress Xol's arm.

"If you'll have me for that long." Xol let loose another smile. She doubted that she had ever smiled so much as she did in the past few hours.

"I never want you to leave me," Ileana whispered.

Xol just could not stop smiling even more than before. She felt like she might float off into space considering how she felt at the moment. The tender hands that were devotedly stroking her body added to that feeling. She laid down right on Ileana, cuddling her face into a warm neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes before the Princess had a question.

"Should we get up soon? You are sharing your room, are you not?" Ileana asked.

"Right. I'm shocked Ro hasn't beaten the door in," Xol replied, chuckling a little bit.

"Ro…are you…are you…?" Ileana was not sure how to phrase her question, but she did feel that she needed an answer.

"Ro was my companion, I guess you could say…" Xol admitted without any shame in her voice.

"Your lover," Ileana corrected her friend. Her tone was slightly hard.

Xol sighed. "Fine, my lover. But, she doesn't own my heart. You do and you know that."

"Then why do you have a lover?" the Princess pressed.

Xol sighed again; apparently, the good vibe was gone and now they had to be serious. She supposed that she should have seen it coming, but she really would have preferred to just stay wrapped in the mushy heaven of sheer carnal bliss between them. Although, she knew that the faster she got out of the real world by getting the conversation out of the way, the sooner she would be able to get back to that heaven.

"I was lonely. I was so lonely without you. I was hoping that I'd be able to move on, thinking I'd never be able to have you, not like this. I've never wanted anyone like I want you," Xol said, running her hand up and down Ileana's side.

"So, what will you do about Ro?" Ileana asked. She wondered if maybe daijinn also practiced having more than one partner. After all, it seemed normal for daijinn to have same-sex relationships, apparently. She was not sure what was taboo with daijinn.

"She and I have no claim to each other, so I'll let her go. It's really that simple. I'll tell her that I'm with you, heart and soul. She has to respect that you and I do have a claim to each other. No one can compare to you and no one will ever compare to you. You're my everything, Ileana. You're my sun and my moon," Xol stated, voice pleading to be believed and accepted.

Ileana was quiet for a moment before she broke out into a near grin. She just could not feel insecure when Xol was looking down at her with such loving eyes. She felt so right and safe with Xol and she did believe the smaller teenager.

"I am happy you are back," Ileana said, closing her eyes for a few seconds, just to take in everything about the moment and everything that she was feeling at the moment.

"I'm glad to be back. Now, we still need to get up. If Ro doesn't come back in, someone else will come in anyway. I need to meet with your brother too to find out when Garrick is going to be showing up," Xol informed the Princess.

Ileana nodded. "I wonder how my brother found you and knew to hire you."

"Funny, I don't think he recognizes me, so it was not like he sought me out specifically. I could've sworn that he would like me enough to remember me," the shorter female remarked.

"He was young when you left and Father did not allow him to see much of us. Please, do not feel insulted that he does not recognize you. He has missed you. He stopped watching the stars since you have been gone, saying it just was not the same without you. He often told me I would not be so sad if you were around," Ileana reported with a small smile.

"Is that so?" Xol leaned down for a quick kiss. "Are you sad now?"

"No, I am quite content," the Princess assured her lover.

"Then I suppose Viktor was right. He's also going to wonder where am I if I don't get to meet up with him soon. So, we have to get up to make sure that Viktor has a throne to rule from by the time that bastard Garrick shows up," Xol stated, patting Ileana before she rolled off of the Princess.

Ileana groaned from the loss of contact, but she knew that her lover had a point. She wished that they had more time to revel in each other, but if Xol really was going to stay with her, then she supposed they had time for that later. They got the chance to get cleaned up together, even though the experience did not last as long as either of them would have liked. They helped dress each other, hands lingering on many areas longer than necessary. They smiled at each other when they were done.

"Will you accompany me to dinner, milady?" Xol requested, offering her arm to the Princess.

Ileana smiled and took the proposed limb. The pair exited the room and went to speak with Viktor. He was having dinner and welcomed them to sit with him and Miss Olga, as well as several daijinn from Xol's pack after Viktor commanded all of the servants away. All eyes turned to the entering couple and Xol immediately noticed Mei grinning. Xol glared at the smiling warrior. Mei was the only daijinn grinning up a storm at the sight.

Xol sat down next to Ileana. She studied the faces of her pack members, Mei still smiling, Kwen just appearing hungry, Yu perplexed, Ro angry, and Fry shaking her head. Xol sighed, but she took Ileana's hand in hers. The Princess looked down at their hands and smiled at her best friend. She was surprised at how easy it was to show affection now after their relationship changed. For some reason, Ileana thought it would be difficult to adjust, but it seemed to be as simple as breathing to show her emotions for Xol. She supposed it was because she knew that no matter what anyone did to her or thought of her, nothing would ever be worse than being without Xol. So, she wanted her friend to know just how she felt whenever possible through whatever means possible.

"Um…" Viktor said, trying to get his thoughts together because he did not know what to make of his sister's sudden friendliness with Xol. "I have been told that Garrick will be here in a couple of days. There has not been a change in his plans and he has been having closed off meetings that only his closest captains are allowed to attend. I do have to add that many of his closest captains are men that were members of our army. He has sent word to me that he wishes to meet with me as soon as he comes in, so that he can give his report and shower me with treasures of our victories. I replied that he should come right to the throne room. Does that suit you?" he asked Xol.

"It's perfect. There are plenty of places for us to hide. Yu, I'm going to need you to keep out of sight when Garrick shows up, just to make sure that he's going for the coup. If he sees you, he might get scared," Xol told her follower.

"I've seen the room. I have a good place to hide, but stay close," Yu replied.

"Good. Mei, Ro, Kwen, later tonight, we'll go through the room and plot where everyone should be in case Garrick is serious about this coup," Xol said and she got nods all around. She then took a deep breath. "I think it's fair to warn you all, if Garrick is serious about this coup, I'm going to kill him," she announced.

Ileana squeezed Xol's hand when those words left her mouth. She could hear the seriousness in Xol's tone and then she remembered that day four years ago when Garrick was first brought into their lives, the way that Xol leaped at him with all abandon. The Princess wondered what kind of past Xol had with Garrick.

"Boss, you sure about this?" Mei asked because that was not part of the plan.

"It's something I have to do. Forgive my selfishness. I just feel it's fair to warn you all. I would also advise you not to get in my way," Xol said, speaking more to the humans at the table than the daijinn.

"Don't worry about it, boss. You don't tend to do things without a good reason," Yu dismissed the apology. He had worked with her long enough to know that even when she claimed that she was being selfish, she was typically doing something for other people as well as herself. She seemed to think just because she was included in her thoughts that made her selfish.

"So, later tonight, we'll do a walk through and then wait for Garrick to show up," Xol stated and she got nods from her people.

They all then turned their attention to the meal. There was not much conversation and the few words passed were between pairs rather than everyone. Xol felt Ro's eyes trying to burn a hole through her. She only met Ro's hard gaze once, her eyes promising a resolution sometime in the near future. The rest of the daijinn caught the look, so they decided to focus on the problem at hand before getting into their leader's personal life.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Xol has her discussion with Ro and Garrick makes his return.


	32. 31: Conflicted

31: Conflicted

"Setting up in here should be easy," Yu observed as he, Xol, Mei, Kwen, and Ro scouted the throne room, trying to figure out the best places for their pack members to hide in case of the coup. There were plenty of spaces to put their people, such as behind columns, tapestries, sculptors, tables, and other areas that could conceal a big body. And of course there were the secret passages ways that littered the room too.

"We should also station warriors outside. He'll probably have the army nearby in case of a fight. The courtyard would hold a lot of people for him and since there are gardens along the edges, we can put people out there," Xol decided.

"We might suffer some casualties in this one…" Yu muttered, body tense as the thought crossed his mind. He hated the idea that their tribe would die for humans. But, they took the job and they would go through with the job, especially since they needed the pay.

"It would be better if I could convince all those hardheaded maniacs to carry proper weapons," Xol commented, shaking her head a little.

"Humans use weapons. Daijinn come equipped with everything we need," Kwen pointed out and flashed his claws. His mindset was shared by most of their pack and they went into all battles barehanded. They believed that wielding weapons was actually a weakness. Humans used weapons because they did not have any natural defenses and were weak. But, they had been blessed with muscular physiques and razor sharp claws. At least they were not opposed to wearing armor or some kind of protective covering, their leader thought. But, of course, she hated how impractical and stubborn her tribe could be. Sometimes, she suspected that they were that way just to spite her.

Xol sighed and shook her head again. "I'm more interested in us surviving than what humans use and what daijinn have. We can't afford to always play the hotshots. People at home are depending on us."

Ro scoffed loudly at the words, gaining the attention of everyone around. Mei gave Ro a pleading look, silently begging her not to start now. Ro chose to ignore the look.

"If you really cared about the people at home, you wouldn't betray us so easily," Ro grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

Xol raised an eyebrow while the other three warriors stood wide-eyed with shock. They could not believe that Ro would chose now of all times to bring that up! Ro stood tall and by her words, unflinching even under the gaze of a woman that she knew could kill her quite easily. But, she also knew that the woman would not kill her.

"And how did I betray you?" the small warrior inquired, holding her chin up to show that she was not backing down.

" _With that human wench! How could you touch a human like that? After what they put us all through?_ " Ro demanded, stomping over to the leader and breathing a wrathful breath down at Xol. The petite female did not even blink.

" _Ro, we don't have any claim to each other—_ " Xol tried to explain, but she was cut off by Ro reaching out and grabbing her by the collar, lifting the short leader off of her feet.

" _I'm not talking about that! No, we don't have any claim to each other, but did it ever occur to you that I might have some feelings for you that I wished were returned? Did it ever occur to you that I couldn't stand knowing you preferred some human to me? Did it ever occur to you that we all might need you while you're just going to settle for being some human's pet?_ " Ro roared, shaking Xol to the point of nearly ripping her shirt off. They could all hear the fibers tearing apart, sounding similar to what they guessed Ro's heart sounded like.

The other three daijinn rushed over, trying to get Ro to halt her actions. They put their hands on her, but then they noticed how unmoved Xol appeared. The leader seemed unaffected by the manhandling, eyes focused on the ground. It was not that she seemed ashamed or hurt by what was going on, but it was something else. It was there in her eyes that they all saw the familiar burdened, painfully sorrowful look that lurked in Xol's demeanor for the past four years. A misery that never went away, that dragged her down, and kept her from truly getting close to anyone. Ro's grip weakened.

" _Hit me and just get it over with_ ," Xol requested, like she truly believed that would make everything better. Her eyes flashed and she turned to stare into Ro. The tall warrior flinched.

Ro suddenly felt like she was the one who had been hit and her hand released their leader without any orders from her brain. Xol fell to the floor with a soft thud, never breaking eye contact with her former lover. She did not bother to pick herself up from the heap that she landed in, though. Ro glared down at her furiously while Mei dropped to Xol's side, trying to comfort her and help her up. Xol only responded to being helped up.

" _I…I don't want to hit you…_ " Ro admitted, feeling dirty that Xol thought that she would consider doing such a thing. She knew that Xol's first experience with their pack involved people hitting her. Now that she thought about it, she was ashamed to have even grabbed their leader.

" _Isn't that how things are made better? By hitting me?_ " Xol asked in a desperate, bitter tone. All her life, it seemed like everything was corrected by pain, except when it came to Ileana. Everyone seemed to think that hitting her was the solution, but as far as she could tell, it did not solve anything. Hitting her only made everyone else feel like they accomplished something, made them feel like they taught her a lesson.

" _What? No, of course not!_ " Ro replied in disbelief that she actually felt worse now than she did a second ago. Her eyes were wide and she felt like she might break down into tears just from the questions directed at her.

" _How about we talk about this later? Right now, we still have a job to do and not quite so long to do it_ ," Yu proposed, hoping to get everyone focused on the problem at hand. He glanced at Mei, silently letting her know that he wanted an explanation for just happened. She shrugged, but nodded in response.

" _Yeah…later…_ " Ro concurred, turning her eyes away from everyone. She silently cursed herself for being so selfish and bringing up a sensitive subject at such a poor time. Not to mention the horrible way that she went about it. But, damn it, it hurt. Her little sun goddess belonged to someone else and now she could not even pretend that person did not exist because the damned human was one of the people they were working for.

Xol was quiet and solemn for the rest of the planning, speaking only to help in the setup. Part of her felt guilty for what she had done, but she could not help it. Ileana was the person that made her whole, the missing part of her soul. The only way for her to know happiness in life was to be with Ileana. Her tribe was just going to have to deal with it. Aside from that, she silently admitted that she done wrong with how she went about it and whispered an apology to Ro, but was ignored. She expected as much. Once she was certain that they had everything worked out, she walked away from the group, leaving them to their own devices. They watched her leave, all wondering what they were supposed to do about her.

" _We lost her, didn't we?_ " Kwen asked. His voice and eyes were oddly soft and he cleared his throat after speaking to cover that up.

" _That's just it, Kwen. We never had her. She was just waiting for a time that she could come back here_ ," Mei answered.

" _Why? What the hell is there here that isn't at home? Shit, that's the home she gave us! Why the hell can't she just be happy with there?_ " Kwen demanded, scratching the back of his head in sheer confusion. Ro was of like mind on that one, but they all knew that already.

" _Maybe one day when you find your mate and your soul feels light because you've fallen in love, you'll figure it out_ ," Mei replied and she bumped Yu with her hip. Yu glanced down at her, but did not say anything.

" _The chief isn't stupid enough to take a human mate_ ," Kwen huffed. He turned his chin up and folded his arms across his thick chest as if he was offended that they would think such things of the boss.

" _Yeah, you didn't think she was stupid enough to fight the whole pack for that human either, yet here we are. She can't help who completes her any more than any of us can force her to stay with us. I think it's clear who has always been first in her heart. We can't change that and we shouldn't lament it either_ ," Mei said, cutting Kwen and Ro a glance.

" _We were good to her_ ," Ro insisted.

" _No, we weren't. Not even you, Ro. Yes, you have feelings for her, but when you started out, you were with her for the status symbol. Even after your emotions grew, in your heart you knew who she was bonded to and all you could think about was taking her place_ ," Mei argued.

" _How I started out doesn't matter because as you said I have feelings for her now. If only she wasn't so hung up on that filthy human, she could have bonded with me!_ " Ro roared in fury.

" _How can you expect her to change her heart?_ " Mei countered. " _We all knew where we stood with her. All of us, including you, Ro_."

" _Let's not worry about this. We have business to take care of. This isn't business. Focus on business_ ," Yu pointed out to put an end to the bickering, knowing that Mei could go on forever if someone allowed it.

The trio conceded Yu's point. They went back to their business mindsets and decided to break to make sure the rest of their pack was ready. Ro wondered where Xol had gotten to because when she went back to their room, the pack leader was gone. Ro gazed longingly down the hallway.

" _She never was mine, but it was nice to hold her_ …" Ro muttered to the air.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol was reclining on the sofa in the Ileana's room, recalling when it was her bed. Ileana was sitting up with Xol's head in her lap, caressing the smaller teen's cheek, humming lightly. Xol was on the verge of purring from the attention.

"Thank you for being here and holding me," Xol said to the Princess.

"I want nothing more than to always be there for you and to hold you whenever possible. You seemed so bothered when you came to me, though. Is there a problem?" Ileana inquired curiously.

"Several. But, for the moment, I don't want to think about any of them. I just want to lay here in your lap and feel your touch."

"Then I shall be happy to oblige you," Ileana commented with a smile. One hand continues stroking Xol's cheek while the other gently kneaded her scalp.

"I can't believe you kept this thing in here, just taking up space," Xol commented in a whisper, patting the couch to let the Princess know what she was referring to.

"It reminded me of you. Despite my earlier demeanor, I really missed you. My heart cried out for you everyday. I am so happy that you are back," Ileana stated with a pleased smile gracing her features.

Xol smiled too and closed her eyes. She could stay as she was forever, she thought. Her mind could not help commenting that there was no way in Hell that she would give up her Ileana to Garrick. It would seem that Ileana was reading her thoughts too.

"Why are you so…upset with Garrick?" Ileana asked. She knew that the term "upset" did not even scratch the surface from the way that Xol lunged at him four years ago and the fact that she wanted to personally kill him.

Xol was quiet for a long moment, not sure if she wanted to share her past, even with Ileana. But, she did consider that she had to tell someone at some point or she would just let it eat away at her, as she had been doing, haunted by nightmares and now driven by the desire to just dip her fingers in Garrick's blood. So much pain and suffering, all caused by one man; she knew that she needed to put some of that burden down and she did not trust anyone the way that she trusted the Princess.

The pack leader licked her lips and opened her eyes. She stared into deep hazel eyes that were gazing right at her. She swallowed and wondered if it was possible to drown in a simple look.

"A long time ago, Ileana, before I really knew humans existed outside of scary stories, I had a family. I had a mother, a father, and a brother. We were a pretty happy family. We lived in a clan. I don't remember much about it, because I was very young, but I know we moved a lot. We were…whatchamacallits…" Xol searched her mind for the word that she was looking for.

"Nomads," Ileana supplied.

"Yeah, nomads. Then, one night, out of nowhere these humans thundered into the camp. They burned everything…" Xol said with contempt deep in her voice, as her eyes flooded with rage, like a stormy ocean. "They slaughtered everyone. My parents died together while my brother and I died together by the hands of that…bastard," she growled the word before spitting it out of her mouth as if it tasted bitter.

Ileana visibly flinched, but her hands were steady, rubbing her friend's face and head to keep her calm. Xol could feel the tension rising in the Princess and she was not sure what to do about it. She was more interested in getting her own comfort for once and turned to hide her face in Ileana's flat stomach.

"You didn't die that night, though…" Ileana pointed out in a soft tone.

"I did. The person I would have been if they lived died that night and for a long time I thought I was truly dead because of him. He was the one that ordered me enslaved, along with the few members of my clan that survived…" Xol trailed off as she thought about her time traveling to the city, that teenage girl who she was probably older than now, clutching her, trying to reassure her that everything would be all right. Not for the first time, she wondered what became of that girl, of the rest of her clan. She had not seen any familiar faces in all of her years working in the kitchen or being banished to the Cages or even with her own tribe now. She often felt like she was the last one, so to her, the clan was dead.

"This man has wronged you in many ways and may do so again…" Ileana swallowed, thinking about how Garrick could once again ruin her precious iris.

"No, I will not let him have anymore of my life. You are mine," Xol declared possessively, wrapping her arms around Ileana's waist and holding on for dear life.

"I am," Ileana affirmed, lovingly returning the embrace.

"Please, don't try to talk me out of this. My ancestors howl in my soul for this man's blood. My own heart pleads to me for it. I can't…I just can't go on if he breathes another breath after my allowance. This is the least I can do for all those he killed and for destroying me and my brother right in front of my eyes that night, for selling me like a common dog, and for parading himself as if he was important. I can't let a man just think he can take whatever he wants without consequences," Xol explained.

"It's all right, dearest flower. You do not have to explain yourself to me. I know of hatred too. I doubt that mine can hold a candle to yours because I only know what it is like to lose parts of my world, but not my whole world and certainly not at such a young age. I will support your decision," Ileana promised.

"Thank you, my moon," Xol replied and that earned her a smile and a kiss. She cuddled up into the Princess again and they made themselves comfortable.

Xol knew that Ileana had her own reasons for wanting Garrick dead. She knew that Garrick threatening Viktor was worst than threatening Ileana's life and there was no way that Ileana would stand for him getting away with that. Xol smiled, pleased to be able to kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

-8-8-8-8-

Viktor swallowed nervously as he took his seat on the throne. He had just gotten word that Garrick was at the city gates, parading about like the hero he wished to portray. The people of the capital had never really been sure what to make of Garrick and his growing band, but they did celebrate his returns because they knew it was expected. There were some had affection for him, believing in the King when he said that Garrick was making the country great. Of course, there were some families that disagreed, missing sons that had been off to war for years now. There were others that felt the King needed to focus his attention inward on the kingdom and fix the problems they had there rather than going out into the world conquering and looting other nations. And still there were others that hated how conquest cut off trade with some nations, ruining their businesses or making it hard for them to get their favorite items at market. No one dared voice those opinions too loudly for fear that the King would learn of the dissent and make them pay in unspeakable ways.

King Vladimir thought that Garrick was the best thing to happen to their nation. Because of that, he always gave Garrick the best receptions, but he was not around and there was no huge welcome for Garrick this time. The lack of usual festivities could have blamed the fact that the King was not there, but Garrick still took it as an affront to him, especially since the acting King was absent. King Vladimir tended to greet Garrick at the gate and ride a parade route with him, but Viktor did not bother with such a gesture and also did not bother with throwing some grand party.

Garrick frowned as he surveyed the streets of the capital city. People lined the streets to see his approach, but almost immediately went about their business when they saw the ranks. There were no vendors lining the grounds as there usually would be, no one throwing confetti for him, no children were pushing each other for a space in the front to see him, and even the pick-pockets were elsewhere. It was like a regular day in what was popularly known as the City of Flowers.

"This whelp thinks he can just disrespect me?" Garrick asked his second-in-command, who was riding next to him on a similar grandiose white steed.

"The Prince is but a child. He doesn't know the proper way to welcome home the city's greatest warrior," the second remarked as an evil smirk smeared its way onto his face.

"I suppose we'll just have to teach him then," Garrick commented with a twisted smile of his own. A demonic glint lit in his eyes.

"I've already sent word that you expect to meet with the boy first thing. While you meet with him, should I…?" the second asked, nodding his head slightly, motioning to the horde of men behind them.

"By all means," Garrick stated in a hard tone.

The second nodded and they proceeded to the palace, still uncelebrated. By the time that they reached the main gate, Garrick was grounding his teeth together, fuming over being disrespected—as he saw it—by a mere child. He took a few deep breaths, masking his frustration as he dismounted his horse to step into the interior of the palace. He then had to walk up dozens of flights of stairs to get to the courtyard. With each step he took, his feet seemed to get heavier and slap the decorated tile just a little harder. It was surprising that he did not shatter any steps by the time he reached the top.

The palace floor was subjected to the same behavior as Garrick made a beeline for the throne room. He was heard long before he was seen and Viktor squirmed in his oversized chair a little. The Prince tried to will his heartbeat to slow down, but the organ was not listening. Ileana, who was standing by her brother, took his hand into hers. Viktor looked up at Ileana, who smiled down at him.

"I will protect you and she will protect us," Ileana vowed.

Viktor nodded and took a deep breath. He told himself that if Ileana had faith, then it would be so. She had not been wrong in the past—as far as he knew—and he just needed to trust in her. If no one else, he knew that he could always count on her, and that knowledge helped ease his discomfort. From that point on, he was able to look straight ahead and stared at Garrick when he was before them with no fear in his chocolate eyes.

"Highnesses," Garrick greeted the siblings and bowed very deeply to them.

"Sir Garrick," Viktor said, the title trying to cling to his tongue. To that day, he could not believe that his father actually knighted such a vile man.

"Forgive me for saying so, but this is highly unorthodox, your Majesty," Garrick commented as he stood his full height.

Viktor arched an ebony eyebrow. "And what is so unorthodox?" he inquired curiously, maintaining a polite tone, even though he wished to be anything but polite to the so-called man in front of him. He hated being in the same room as Garrick, knowing the man made a living off of robbing and killing people. Worse yet was that he was doing so under the country's flag. It was disgusting, just like the man's inflated ego and sense of entitlement.

"Typically, I would meet with the King alone to discuss my ventures," Garrick answered, glancing over at Ileana. He smirked and added, "Although, I don't mind the view of the Lady."

Ileana bit back the urge to growl at him. She did roll her eyes in disgust while pushing down the desire to vomit. It was a familiar feeling when she had to suffer his presence. She hated the way his eyes always raked over her, making it very clear what he was thinking. She focused back on Garrick, thinking that he seemed to be worse now than the last time she saw him. The look in his eyes was beyond perverted and she did not even want to imagine what he was thinking. She was not sure how it was possible to get more barbaric over time, but he was managing it well in her opinion. Now, if only he could channel that energy into something decent.

"I am sure someone has informed you that my sister is acting as my main adviser. She will be staying for the meeting," Viktor informed his "guest."

Garrick nodded as he took in that news. "I was informed of that. With all due respect, sire, your father, a true and proper king, would spin in his grave if only he were dead. He was trying to make this a powerful nation, not the City of Flowers as everyone views it, and you go and set back his work by having not just a woman by your side as an adviser, but also making decisions and doing more than half your work load—" his harsh words were cut off.

"Enough! My brother needs not answer to you. He does what he must to keep the kingdom running until my father's return and how he does it is none of your concern," Ileana declared.

Garrick laughed. "What if your father never returns? He's been ill for months now. If your father never returns, our nation should be subjected to this weakling in power?" the bear of a man inquired, motioning to Viktor with his massive hand, expecting to see the boy shrink in his seat. Viktor did not even flinch.

"This is not your country for you to even speak the word 'ours,' Garrick," Ileana seethed, purposely leaving off his title.

"Oh, but it could be sometime in the very near future, Princess," Garrick declared with great confidence.

"And how do you figure that?" Ileana asked, as if she did not know. The man just had an air of treachery about him and she was sure that she would have known his intent no matter what the circumstances. _Father, you were the one who lay with a dog and now the whole country has fleas_.

"Because I am the one holding the cards, Ileana," Garrick allowed her name to roll off of his tongue as if his mouth oozed with poisoned honey.

"I do not see any cards, only a knight that is very close to committing treason," the Princess cautioned him, narrowing her gaze to him.

"Viktor, you have no vision for this nation, but I know what your father was trying to do. If you peacefully hand the crown over to me, I won't even bother to kill you, but if you want to make this more interesting, well…" Garrick trailed off as he put his hand on the hilt of his claymore, which was strapped to his back as it always was.

"Are you threatening my life, Garrick?" Viktor inquired, leaning forward with a very surprising, challenging glint in his eyes.

The so-called knight gave the boy-king a cocky grin. "It's not a threat if I carry it out, boy. You're not what this country needs, so do the smart thing and just concede the throne," he ordered.

"So, that you can take my homeland and rape it? So that you can take my sister and rape her? I think not!" Viktor roared as he jumped to his feet, standing strong. He did not know that he would be so outraged when the situation came, but now, he doubted that he would ever feel quite so angry. There was a churning in his stomach, but a fire in his gaze and lava in his veins. His fist clenched, wanting to smash against Garrick's square jaw, but he did not move.

"Hold your place, little boy. I don't care how old you are, I'll split you in half," Garrick promised.

"I'm not handing over my throne," Viktor stated soundly, steel in his voice and in his eyes.

"Have it your way," Garrick declared with a grin. "I actually prefer it this way."

Viktor gulped and hoped that his sister knew what she was talking about. Garrick slowly drew his sword as if trying to frighten the siblings while stalking toward the royal pair. They did not have time to react as he swung his claymore, aiming to take Viktor's head off.

Garrick smirked all the way through his swing while Viktor's heart raced. He could almost imagine the breeze that he would feel for a brief moment before his head completely left his body. Ileana actually stepped away from her brother, putting about four feet of space between them. Garrick did not notice the strange behavior as he was too interested in slaying the Prince and thinking that he had a clear shot.

The knight began laughing moments before he knew that his sword was going to connect. The laughter did not cease as a loud clang echoed through the throne room until Garrick realized that his sword was making that noise. His eyes shot from his target to what was now obstructing his sword. Xol stood shoulder to shoulder with the Prince and she had her left arm up. Attached to Xol's arm was a shield and that was what Garrick's claymore clashed with instead of impacting Viktor's neck.

"Long live the King," Xol remarked icily as Garrick glared at her.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: time for the final battle.


	33. 32: The flames of justice

32: The flames of justice

Watching the throne room through a small spyglass, darkened eyes were able to see Garrick draw his claymore. A hand raised, coming into sight for rows of men in the courtyard. Archers stepped up, setting their sights in the same direction as the spyglass. As they reached into the quivers loaded on their backs, they were greeted by quite the unpleasant surprise.

" _Not so fast!_ " Kwen remarked, forgetting to speak in the language the humans understood, as he and a dozen daijinn came out of nowhere it seemed; they leaped out of bushes, trees, and a hidden tunnel under the courtyard, swarming on the group like a mass of hungry locus.

The daijinn sprang into action as soon as they touched ground. Their claws were out and going at the humans as if they were mortal enemies and would only be satisfied if every human there was dead. One of the reasons that Kwen enjoyed going along with Xol's plans to rent out of their services was the simple fact that he was able to beat on humans. Many of his comrades were of like minds. This job was one of the best for the simple fact that they would be able to kill so many humans, especially ones that they knew trafficked in daijinn slaves; yes, some of them knew of Garrick quite well and how he used to make a living. Kwen wasted no time or effort in the hobby either, making sure to take it to every human as if that human was the one that used to pull his reins so long ago.

The other daijinn of Kwen's squad went after the humans with just as much vigor and some with even more ferocity than the giant. They had their reasons aside for their deep hatred of humans. No one wanted to be seen as taking it easy on the humans either, so they all gave a little extra than the man standing next to them. The humans never knew what hit them, but they did know that the wrath hurt like Hell.

Gasps and screams soon filled the air, replacing the happy chirps of birds that fled the area as soon as the attack began. The smell of the flowers was covered up with the smell of sweat, blood, and fury. The lush garden was quickly becoming a harsh killing field and would soon be a silent grave for one of the groups.

The daijinn fought with their claws most than anything else. Their nails extended into inch long, razor-sharp talons and the nails went through flesh with an ease that was almost unfathomable, like it was flowing through a liquid, calling forth the life-force of the daijinns' foes with every on point slash. Swords were envious of the cut that a daijinn could produce. Making matters worse, daijinn always made sure to soil their hands with any form of dirt that they could find before battle, looking to infect wounds if any of their enemies should survive the conflict. For daijinn, survivors' injuries should burn and fester and make them wish that they had died with their comrades. The human soldiers were learning that first hand as they dropped like rabbits before the hands of mighty hunters.

Kwen could not help smirking as he started to hear the screams of their enemies. He thought back to all of the time he saw his kin tortured and broken by these people. He would love nothing more than a scream for each pain that a daijinn suffered at the hands of the humans. All he thought about while fighting was finding someone else to bring agony and misery to. After he was done with one victim, he immediately sought out fresh prey.

The humans' confusion did not last long from the surprise attack. They were a well-trained army, after all. They formed ranks and prepared to focus on the daijinn, ready to defend and counterattack. Kwen noticed the formation, knowing that the element of surprise was gone. So, he figured that it was time to renew that element.

" _Disappear!_ " Kwen ordered, throwing his hand up for his group to see.

"Destroy the beasts!" a captain commanded the humans.

Just as the humans were set to counterattack, the daijinn seemed to vanish, ducking into the bushes of the garden and leaping into lush trees, managing to conceal themselves like jungle cats. Others still vanished back into the tunnels, clearing the whole area. The captains of the army cursed, realizing from a lot of experience in dealing with daijinn that they were in the daijinn's territory. The gardens were covered in thick shrubs and lively trees, giving the daijinn ample places to hide and attack from the shadows, like leopards or cougars.

"Such filthy beasts," a man cursed to himself about the daijinn while trying to anticipate their next move. The humans silently vowed not to allow themselves to be defeated by such lowly creatures.

-8-8-8-8-

Garrick snarled, trying to topple Xol with his long, large blade and sheer brute force, but she was not giving ground. His swipe sent a deceptively gentle hum through his blade to the shield that Xol was using the halt his attack against Viktor. Before Garrick could move into another assault, Yu dropped down from the ceiling, as if he was a spider, and landed almost soundlessly next to the Prince. He grabbed Viktor and leaped behind the throne to get the boy out of harms way immediately.

"What the hell are dogs doing here?" Garrick demanded to know. Fury and the fires of Hell blazed in his mad eyes.

"We were wondering that too. Who let you in?" Ileana remarked, confident smirk on her face.

Xol smirked as well and shoved Garrick's sword away from her form. For a moment, he was stunned that such a small creature could overpower and move him, but that was only for a very brief moment. She charged the man, claws at the ready. He was faster than she gave him credit for and he recovered in enough time to halt her movements with his weapon. He glanced outside, in the direction of the gardens.

"You looking for your archer friends? They won't be sniping anyone today," Xol informed him as she started a new charge.

"That's fine," Garrick replied with a grunt as he swung his mighty sword again, forcing Xol to change directions. He smirked as heavy footfalls could be heard rushing toward them like raging cattle.

"When did he call for backup?" Yu wondered aloud.

"I guess we did not know the whole plan," Viktor commented with a solemn expression, his whole demeanor seeming to drop off of a steep cliff because of the slight miscalculation.

"Have faith. Our little sun goddess has yet to let us down," Yu replied with a small, encouraging smile. He never would have thought that he would one day smile at a human, but he admitted to himself, as far as humans went, Viktor seemed to be all right. It helped that Xol was fond of the young man.

Viktor ducked his head from behind the throne, wondering how Xol was going to counter the room flooding with men. The tiny leader glanced quickly behind Garrick and witnessed columns of men with serious weapons approaching in heavy, rushing waves that were going to crash on their shores in mere moments. Her brow rose a bit; _that's certainly unexpected_ , she thought.

"We'll just have to fight fire with fire," Xol decided as the humans entered the room and called for "shooting stars" by snapping her fingers.

Daijinn came down like a meteor shower, falling from the ceiling. Mei and Ro were included in those hotshots and Ro wasted no time splashing into battle, hitting like a hurricane and knocking down whoever was in her path. Mei went to the Princess' side, who was inching her way toward the throne, trying not to draw too much attention to herself.

"Come with me," Mei said as she took Ileana by the shoulders, planning to escape with the Princess. She was surprised when she met with stern resistance.

"I will not be rushed away when my country and life are being threatened. Your Xol taught me to stand and fight for the things that I love with all my heart," Ileana declared in a proud tone.

"That's all well and good, but you shouldn't throw your life away for it," Yu stated as he helped Mei in removing the Princess from the forefront of the fighting, yanking her behind the throne.

"What are you two doing? Get them out of here," Xol pointed out as she retreated back for a moment, hoping to get the royal siblings to safety.

"I am not going anywhere. I am fully capable of defending myself and my homeland," Ileana proclaimed as she reached underneath the throne. She pulled out a case and snapped it open. Inside the case, waiting patiently like two adoring pups, were a pair of short, curved swords. She stood, powerful, brandishing her weapons as if they were invincible. The daijinn trio were in shock, mouths hanging open, eyes wide, and tongues practically on the floor as Ileana marched into the fray like she was made of stone. Ileana oozed confidence and power like they were the only things in her sculpted body.

"You two didn't just see that," Xol ordered to her comrades, knowing just what was going through their minds since it was going through hers as well. Her eyes stayed still glued to the Princess and then it occurred to her to follow to make sure Ileana did not get hurt.

"Mei," Yu said, still caught somewhat in awe.

"Yes?" Mei replied.

"That was singularly the sexiest thing I never saw a human do," Yu admitted.

Mei nodded. "I hope I never see it again," she agreed.

"Guys," Viktor said, knocking the pair out of their stupor. It did not help matters that they were ogling and talking about his sister.

"Right!" They recalled that they had jobs to do. Yu hustled Viktor out of the growing chaos that was erupting in the throne room. Mei went to Xol's side.

"Are you going to go after Garrick?" Mei asked the leader, noticing that Xol had actually eased off of their main enemy. Mei was willing to bet it was because Xol wanted to make sure a certain human Princess was not injured.

"I have my eye on him," Xol replied, tracking Garrick, who was moving through the crowd, trying to get to Viktor from what she could gather.

"Go get him. I have your woman's back," Mei said and then she glanced over at Ileana, who seemed to know exactly what to do with those swords. "You lucky ass," Mei whispered to the leader.

Xol rolled her eyes and then glared at Mei for ogling Ileana. She did take a moment to watch Ileana work her twin blades and she made a mental note to inquire how the Princess got such skills. Ileana was cutting down enemies as if being a warrior was her true vocation. She just hoped that the Princess continued to show off that talent and did not end up on the wrong end of a blade.

Xol then turned her attention back to Garrick and saw that he was closing in on Yu as he tried to push Viktor through the soldiers closing in. Garrick laughed, a menacing hissing sound, as he raised his sword, certain that his blade would be able to reach his mark and do the deed, bringing him one body closer to everything he felt he deserved.

"I won't let this bastard ruin anymore lives!" Xol decided and fire swarmed around her right arm like angry bees. The flames cracked, just like a hornet buzz, as it swirled around her limb all the way up her shoulder.

Daijinn knew to move out their leader's way almost instinctively. Many of them had been on the receiving end of that fire when it was weak, they would hate to know what it felt like now that she seemed to have mastered it. Even at a distance, they could feel the heat of her power licking at their flesh like hungry wolves. They almost pitied the man that would be on the receiving end of it, but since they knew it would be human scum, they quickly got over the emotion.

Xol threw her arm around as if she was calling forth the wrath of Heaven with it. A pair of spiraling flames sprang from her limb, shooting toward Garrick like avenging angels. Just as her projectile was about to hit its target, a soldier fell in the way and took the powerful attack in the chest. The bloodcurdling scream echoed through the whole room, over the din of the battle.

The pack leader swore under her breath at the poor timing of the unfortunate bastard that she hit, but she was thankful that he fell into Garrick because of the impact. Garrick lost balance and his sword dropped a hair's breath to the right, just missing the young Prince. Yu noticed and realized that he would be doing quite the piss-poor job if Viktor was touched by Garrick.

 _He has the devil's luck_ , Yu mentally huffed.

Yu then grabbed the Prince, not apologizing for his forward behavior. He used a burst of speed to make it to the nearest exit. Viktor yelped and clung to the older male as he fled the area, jumping off of a balcony as if it was nothing. He landed with a grace that a cat would have envied and he continued running deeper into the palace to make sure that he kept the Prince safe.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol was headed toward Garrick while he was trying to lift himself up. She marched over like a tiger approaching an intruder to its territory. She launched flames out at humans as she moved in order to assist members of her tribe. She also slashed at humans that were close by while continuing her direct approach toward her prey. By the time Garrick was on his feet, she was only halfway to him.

Garrick did not notice that she was approaching; he was not even thinking about her anymore. He was only interested in trying to find the Prince and doing away with the boy, but his eyes could not locate whom he sought. His attention was drawn from that by hearing all of the agonized screams behind him. He had never heard his men let loose such horrid wails and needed to witness what was drawing such soul-shattering sounds from his hardened warriors. It was then that he noticed golden eyes locked onto him with a hatred so intense that he could feel it from over a yard away.

"All right, little beast. You seem to want my attention," Garrick commented with a scowl that almost seemed like a smirk. "Well, I am here!" he proclaimed proudly, turning to Xol and holding his sword as if it was some kind of award.

Xol did not respond verbally. She merely launched herself at him, practically flying at him while looking as if she was unleashed from the fieriest pit of Hell, tears flowing from her eyes. The frown on his face deepened, slicing through his visage and turning it into stone. He gripped his sword, figuring that he would end thing swiftly and retrieve the Prince afterwards. Xol roared, letting out a deafening, anguished noise with her pointy teeth on display, followed by a fist that was suddenly engulfed by raging flames that was cocked back and begging for release.

"What the hell?" Garrick muttered when he noticed that not just her fist, but her entire arm was on fire.

No words escaped Xol's mouth as she came at him, so angry that her vision was hazy. Garrick attempted to put his sword up block her attack, but he was not quite fast enough to ward her off. Her knuckles connected against the flat end of his blade, echoing a strange clanging sound through the room. Garrick was surprised that the hit caused him to slide back, throwing him off balance. There was a lot of strength wrapped up in that small body, he noted.

"Damn it," Xol growled, but did not allow her failure to halt her momentum.

The pack leader still had the shield from earlier attached to her arm and used it for her next hit. She bashed the shield against Garrick's blade, earning an annoyed snarled from him as his weapon vibrated from the assault. He ignored the hum and lifted his sword to shove her back, which worked. He shifted the weapon in his hand, smirked like the devil himself, thinking that he was about split her in two.

"Filthy bitch," the giant human declared and found himself surprised.

Xol was quick on her feet, ducking slightly to the side and springing at Garrick as soon as she was steady. Her hand was flexed, waiting for her claws to come into contact with her hated enemy's jaw. He fell back just in time to avoid having his entire face ripped open, but he felt her flames licking at his face, branding him with blackened skin.

"What the hell type of beast are you?" Garrick demanded as he gathered himself, repositioning his sword to keep her away.

"You're the beast!" Xol proclaimed as she crouched, looking to sweep his feet out from underneath him with a swift kick.

Garrick stumbled back, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Xol wasted no time, trying to leap on him with the hope of ripping his throat out. He was able to put his leg up, kicking her in the chest to prevent her from killing him. She grunted as his boot impacted her ribs and propelled her over him. She spun in the air, readying herself for when she landed because she planned to go right back at him, lusting for his blood on her fingers.

Garrick was on his feet as Xol planted her own. He prepared his sword, knowing that she would be back on him and he was right. Her eyes were still ablaze with insatiable loathing and the fire around her arm seemed to burn brighter. She growled, sweat beading her brow. Some part of her mind recognized that her arm was starting to feel agony from her fingertips to the edge of her shoulder.

 _Goddess of the sun, please, just allow me this_ , Xol silently prayed. She would never use her blessing again if she could just have Garrick's life.

The pack leader flung her fiery arm, a column of flame going right at Garrick. He put up his sword, blocking the fire with his weapon. He hissed as the projectile impacted and heated up his blade with enough warmth for it to bite at his fingertips, even though the leather covering the hilt of his weapon. As the fire went by him, he could have sworn it singed his hair, clothing, and blackened his skin.

Xol snarled and pushed her way through a pair of soldiers that ended up in her path. They crashed into pillars in the throne room, cracking the marble from the collision and then falling to the floor, unconscious and bleeding. The fight around them continued to rage, daijinn and humans clashing like rogue waves against the hardest cliffs.

In the melee, Mei was still keeping a watchful eye on Ileana. The Princess was quite skilled with her twin blades, but she did need someone to watch her back, which Mei was doing well enough that they unconsciously decided to fight back-to-back. They both made sure not to step more than two feet away from each other and always came back together within a few seconds, beating back their collective enemies.

"These people do not seem to give up, huh?" Ileana said to Mei while blocking a blade with one of her own and then using her second sword to counterattack. She was panting some, not used to such a heavy workout.

"We don't either, so I think we're fine in this contest of wills. We just need to thin the numbers out," Mei replied, trying to steady her breathing. The humans had to have them outnumbered by three to one. She doubted things were going to work in their favor unless something happened. And then she thought about Xol. "Hey, boss!" she called through the room in general, hoping that the leader heard her.

"I'm a little busy, Mei!" Xol replied in a loud voice, ducking out of the way of Garrick's sword.

"Yeah, well, we're all going to be a little dead if you don't do something!" Mei pointed out.

The "blessed" leader glanced around and saw that her pack was still outnumbered. Fine, she thought. She leaped away from Garrick, but made sure to keep an eye on him. He did not understand why she suddenly backed off until he saw her using her power and throwing flames at his men, taking them down with ease. He then realized something.

"Only her right arm produces that fire," Garrick noticed and then an evil smirk cut its way onto his face.

The giant human commander marched over to Xol with new zeal and a demented glint in his hard eyes. Xol seemed to be focused on spraying her flame like water from a hose and Garrick raised his weapon, thinking that he would easily severe her arm from her shoulder. He expected a smooth slice, but met resistance, hearing the familiar clang of metal against metal. _Damn it,_ he screamed in his mind; she still had that accursed shield attached to her left arm.

"You must miss me," Xol remarked and took the moment that he was shocked to turn her flame on him.

Garrick hollered in sheer agony as the flames practically slashed into his face. He fell back, hoping to escape the pain, but the damage was done. Xol saw her chance and tore at him rather than bothering with the faceless members of the army.

Garrick barely opened his eyes in time to see flaming talons aimed right at his face. He could not begin to explain the pain that sheered into his visage as her fire-fueled nails sliced through his flesh. He was thankful when the cutting finally halted, when her claws had run the full length of his face, but the pain was still so intense that his body froze from the shock for a few seconds. When he somewhat recovered, he could barely move. He dropped his sword in order to put his hands over his face, hoping to protect it from anymore abuse.

"You little bitch!" Garrick screamed at the top of his lungs, opening his eyes to hopefully gauge his situation by locating Xol.

Garrick found that he was unable to judge anything. His vision was very hazy and his mind was swimming from the fierce agony in his face. He could hardly make out the sounds of battle around him. Xol noticed how disoriented her enemy seemed and she tried to assess how long she could leave him on his own while she helped out her comrades. She supposed that he could be left until he found his sword again, which she doubted he would. She wanted to draw out his pain and suffering, make him understand just how much he hurt her and so many others, so she was not willing to end it all for the giant man just yet.

Xol was pretty sure that her claws had sailed through at least one of Garrick's eyes. She knew that would slow him down for a little bit, so she turned her powers onto the other human soldiers. Pained screams bounced off the walls louder than any other sound surrounding them and the humans were aware that they were doing the majority of the hollering. Curiosity was starting to get the better of them and some soldiers began to scan the battle for the source of their comrades' agonies. Many warriors halted their actions when their eyes fell onto Xol.

"She's a demon…" one man whispered.

"No, she's the boss," Mei replied before putting her claws into the man's unguarded chest. He gasped and dropped to the floor.

"How long can she do that?" Ileana inquired, still back to back with Mei. Her arms were burning and she was sweating to the point that her dress was soaked, clinging to her like a second skin.

"The boss can keep it up for as long as necessary as far as I know. We're rarely in battle for so long, though. We've never been up against an army like this," Mei explained as she engaged another opponent. Her hair was dripping and her face was wet, as if she had taken a swim. She cast her eyes out for a moment to check on the boss.

Xol was sweating just as hard as everyone else, but she was not letting up. Her fire raged and swirled around her arm, still promising destruction for her enemies. She wiped out rows of men from a distance while making sure to keep her eye on Garrick. He was stumbling around, groping for his weapon with one hand while the other was still covering his wounded and scarred face, accidently wiping off some of his melted skin. He was getting farther and farther away from her.

Xol growled; _he isn't going to get away!_ He was going to know the full extent of her anguish. She paused from her indiscriminately spraying of the humans to taking an aimed shot at Garrick. A fireball crashed into his leg, singing the flesh behind his knee. He cried out as his leg buckled and he fell to the ground. Xol then got an idea to stop the battle. She was now pleased that she had not killed Garrick straight away because she was going to use the bastard in order to destroy his own dream. She figured that would hurt him a lot more than just killing him. The thought of him suffering long and hard should be enough for her ancestors, she figured.

The pack leader rushed over to Garrick and lifted him almost effortlessly onto her shoulder. She carried him to the throne, which was elevated above the floor and the whole room got a good view of the royal seat. She dumped him in to chair and to make sure that he did not move, she shoved her claws, on her left hand, into his stomach. She then roared to get everyone's attention. Xol's voice had a way of carrying whenever she did her rather good impersonation of a lion and eyes went to her.

"Traitors to the Crown, drop you weapons or I will do unspeakable things to your leader!" Xol announced, holding her flaming hand for everyone to see and for the humans to get the idea.

The soldiers seemed to hesitate, not sure what they were going to do. Xol hoped that her gamble paid off. She tried to think what would happen if she was in the same situation. Would her group surrender or fight? She was almost certain that her group would keep fighting, so she was not too sure if she had had the best idea, but it was too late to take it back now. She would just have to do some other action if it did not work.

"Surrender now or I take Garrick's head and then rain the wrath of the sun unto you all!" Xol added. She thought that might give them a little something to think about.

The humans continued to stare, considering her words she guessed. The daijinn remained on guard, waiting for the humans to make a move. A lot of muscles twitched as soldiers started moving, dropping their weapons to the floor. Ileana was ready to breathe a sigh of relief, but she saw that all of the daijinn were tense and almost begging for a move to be made. The Princess sucked up all of her own pain and frustration and continued holding her swords at the ready.

"Now, on your knees!" Xol commanded.

The humans obeyed that order just like the other. They all kneeled down. Xol nodded and her people knew to start chaining up their new prisoners. Xol nodded again and half of her daijinn knew to file out, making their way to courtyard to make sure that battle was going in their favor.

"See, the boss knows what she's doing," Mei said to Ileana.

"I never had a doubt," the Princess replied with a tired smile. She could feel something starting to gnaw at her guts and she knew that it was not exhaustion from the battle. Her eyes fell onto Xol and one question floated through her mind since everything seemed to be secure. She wondered, was her friend leaving her again?

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: the end.


	34. 33: Renew

33: Renew

Xol kept her fingers digging into Garrick's abdomen as his men were rounded up. The feel of his blood on her claws and dripping down her hand actually made her feel a little bit better. She glanced down at him, wanting to take in his agonized expression. His burnt face was tensed, as if he was trying to adjust to having five long razors in his gut. She glanced back out into the crowd, watching the human soldiers disarm themselves and surrender to her group.

She doused her right arm and the flames flickered away, disappearing back into the black lines on her limb. Her right arm was pulsing as if it was going to explode at any moment. She had never used her full power for so long and her arm did not to like it. She made a mental note to practice with the fire more often, just in case. She wanted to be able to maintain her flames for days if necessary.

The petite leader was taken from her thoughts as she felt Garrick trying to move. She shoved her fingers deeper into his vitals, causing him to gasp and squirm under her control. She growled at him as he gagged from the intense pain shooting through his body. His body even convulsed a couple of times, but that did not faze her.

"You wanted the throne, now sit on it," she ordered and his movements stilled. He was in too much agony to do anything beyond obey now.

Turning her gaze back out to the floor, she watched her comrades as they continued gathering the humans. The traitorous soldiers were all chained together, so they could not try to escape without being very well-organized. She waited for word on the action in the courtyard. She was aware that if she did not hear anything in a minute, she would have to go into that fray too. _With luck, the sun goddess will still be with me_ , she thought.

Golden eyes then fell on Ileana, who Xol noticed was directing her daijinn on where to take the traitors. She smiled to herself; that woman just had a commanding presence that even human-hating daijinn could not help following, she guessed. She was pleased to see that despite the hard battle, Ileana was fine, for the most part.

Ileana was bent over a little, doing her best not to pass out from exhaustion. She was in a more natural position supervising the cleanup, which was helping keep her on her feet. She had her hand on her left side, biting back pain throbbing through that whole area. She knew that if she showed that she was injured, Xol would be by her side, trying to take her off some place to get looked at, which she did not want to do yet. There was much work to be done and she wanted to be a part of that work.

Xol's focus was pulled from the Princess as one of her comrades approached her. She turned her attention to him while making sure that Garrick was still seated. He hissed a bit as she twisted her talons, so now she knew that he was still awake. She had to resist the urge to just slit him open because she was aware that keeping him alive and demoralized was what had his men folding so easily. She was willing to bet the lose and his helpless position was eating him up on the inside too.

" _Is everything all right?_ " Xol asked.

" _Everything is fine. Kwen had good control over the situation and the reinforcements that joined him are helping eliminate the enemy forces_ ," the messenger informed her.

" _Eliminating? I should have known_ ," Xol sighed. She had no doubt that Kwen and his forces were decimating the soldiers if they had the advantage. She knew that Kwen was unforgiving toward humans, but really, his hatred helped when they had missions, so she left him to fight his way when he was off on his own, like he was in the courtyard.

" _He should be done in only moments. He said he'll return as soon as the courtyard is clear_ ," the messenger reported.

Xol nodded and waved him off. He ran away, undoubtedly going back to the battle in the yard. Xol did not care, just making sure that Garrick was still at her mercy. She could feel him breathing, as his stomach pressed against her fingertips, but he was not moving much. She figured that he gave up or was now too weak to fight with her considering his wounds. She still kept half of her attention on him while the other half went to the Princess, who was now joined by Miss Olga. The elder woman was standing behind Ileana as she continued on with her directions.

When the prisoners were all taken where Ileana desired, she turned her attention to the throne, marching over to the raised seat. Miss Olga scowled when she caught sight of that traitorous pig Garrick soiling the royal chair. Xol's hand remained in his abdomen while she was speaking with Mei and Kwen. The daijinn turned their attention to the humans as they were standing there.

"I've sent for Yu and he'll bring Viktor back. Then you can decide what you want to do with this filth," Xol said, nodding toward Garrick.

"Do you not want that privilege?" Ileana asked the shorter female with a curious look in her eyes.

"I've considered it. I think it might be a better show of force for Viktor if he were to handle Garrick," Xol explained. Garrick could be of some use to Viktor, so that would spare him the hours of a slow, painful death that Xol thought he deserved. But, she was willing to bet that Garrick would hate being useful to the Prince and he would hate being at the boy's mercy.

"Are you sure, boss? You seemed damn intent on doing this bastard yourself. We've never seen you like that," Mei pointed out.

"I know. It's just…he's responsible for a lot pain and suffering, not just my own, I'm sure. I was an instrument in his downfall and he has suffered at my hands. Hopefully that will be enough for my own demons," Xol replied. She had made him taste her wrath, feel her fury. She was able to dip her fingers in his blood and ruin his dreams. She hoped that her ancestors, her family, and her soul could be sated with that.

" _Are you sure, chief?_ " Kwen asked. He would actually feel proud of her if she did tear into Garrick's stomach because he thought it would be good therapy for her. It would show that she was trying to heal whatever the humans did to her—in his opinion anyway.

"I have to be sure. In order to show that Viktor is a strong leader, he has to show that he knows what to do with traitors and that he has power, especially inside a place where everyone seems to think that he's a joke," Xol answered.

"You know about having to show you are a good leader, huh?" Ileana inquired. She could not believe how wise and mature her old friend sounded. Xol altogether seemed like a different person, but she could tell that her dearest Rose lay underneath. She found herself attracted to the additions to Xol's personality just as much as she was attracted to the sweet side that she had always known.

"I don't know as much about it as I pretend to," Xol replied and the Princess thought that she was being humble. The way that Mei and Kwen glanced at her, it seemed like there might be more to it.

Ileana did not get a chance to say anything else because Yu and Viktor entered the room. All attention went to the entering pair. They surveyed the area as they strolled through the place, examining the damage. They did not say anything and went right to the group by the throne. Viktor stood by his sister and eyed Garrick, somewhat shocked to find the traitor was still alive.

"I thought you were going to kill him," Viktor said, talking to Xol.

"I decided against it. He's your prisoner, you need to handle him," the pack leader answered.

"I thought you had business, though," the Prince replied.

"I did have business. As far as I'm concerned, my business was taken care of. This beast of a man has suffered by my hands and has been ruined by my hands. Now, you need to show what happens to those that cross you. This man tried to take your throne. He rallied your own men against you. You have to show that you're not going to stand for that and you have to make an example of him," Xol stated.

"She is right, Highness. You should make an example of him to make sure that people understand that they cannot just steal your throne. You have to show them what happens to traitors," Miss Olga said.

Viktor sighed, but nodded to show that he understood. He turned his attention to Garrick, staring at the pathetic sight. The man that had seemed larger than life a couple of hours ago was broken and bleeding before them. His face was bloody and burned; his eyes appeared to be seared shut. He was slumped forward like a defeated doll with Xol's fingers still in his stomach.

"All right. Take him to the dungeon and I will deal with him once the chaos of this event has passed," Viktor decided.

Xol waved over two of her daijinn comrades and they took Garrick away. As they were leaving, Ileana added to that command with her own, telling them which cell that they should take him too. Once that was done, the daijinn began to gather, standing behind their leader. Xol turned her attention to Viktor.

"Do you have our payment ready?" Xol asked, professional tone taking over almost immediately.

"Everything is ready. Will you leave so soon? I would like to throw a feast in your honor," Viktor informed them. He noted that none of the daijinn appeared impressed with that, which he thought might have been his failing. He was sure that if his father made the offer, their reactions would have been different.

"Sorry. That food needs to get back to the rest of the tribe as soon as possible," Xol answered.

"Then I will have it brought in," Viktor replied in a bit of a sorrowful tone, looking down. He wished that he could express his gratitude to them in some way, but he supposed that it would be impossible if they were going to leave so soon.

Xol nodded and then she turned to her group. She sighed and looked at the floor while running her right hand through her hair; she was mindful of her left hand, remembering where it had just been. She then turned her gaze back to her comrades.

Ileana watched, noting that Xol seemed nervous while facing her tribe. The Princess wondered what was going through her friend's mind. She then watched as Mei, Ro, Kwen, and Yu approached the leader, standing in front of her.

" _Was this your plan, little goddess?_ " Ro asked curiously, sorrow in her eyes.

" _I didn't have a plan. I can't help it. This woman is my weakness, my strength, my life, my everything_ ," Xol answered with a slight shrug. A shameless smile tugged at her lips. It was a very rare day for her group to witness her smile.

" _Well, you know that you can't stay in any pack if you're mated to a human and you are very much mated to the Princess_ ," Mei stated what they all knew.

Xol sighed and ran her hand through her hair again. She was only vaguely aware of the few universal daijinn laws, but the one that she was most familiar with was the one that Mei was speaking of now. Mei told her a few times through the years that they had known each other that daijinn were forbidden from mating with humans and banishment was the punishment. Xol always waved her off, dismissing the rule because she did not see how it mattered to her. But, Mei knew, and she had been trying her best to get Xol to see the light and for Xol to understand just what her feelings meant.

" _Mate?_ " Ro echoed and her face fell even more. She appeared rather crushed, not thinking that the relationship was that deep. Yes, Mei had sworn up and down that Xol and the Princess were mates, but she never expected to hear Xol admit to it.

" _Yes, our little sun goddess is definitely mated to that woman. This is why she hasn't been ours, even when she was living with us. Xol, I have to say, I've never thought something like this was possible, even though I saw how hard you fought for the Princess_ ," Mei commented.

Xol looked down at the ground again, but she was smiling shyly. The humans wondered what was going on considering the expression that Xol was wearing compared to the stern and hard expressions of the other daijinn, most of whom were glaring at their leader. When the pack leader looked up, half of the expressions changed, sorrow drenching them as if it was a tidal wave. Xol offered them all a half-smile.

" _I'm sorry, everybody. I wish you all the best, you know that_ ," the short woman informed her group…well, her former group.

Xol was not sure what to do after that. She never planned for the moment that she would be thrown out of the pack, which she had always been aware would happen sooner or later. Instead of admitting to herself that it would happen, she had tried to lie to herself, even though she knew that she was mated to Ileana. There was nothing she could do about that. The pack would never measure up to Ileana or replace those feelings, no matter how much she had attempted to ignore them. Still, she was not sure what to do now. She decided to go with the plan that she had the last time that she thought that she was done with the group. She turned away from them and walked off; that time, no one stopped her. She went and stood in front of Ileana.

"You are going to leave, are you not?" the Princess inquired, tears gathering in her eyes. She was using all of the strength left in her body not to fidget and shake.

Xol reached out, taking the Princess by the shoulders. She then lightly trailed her fingers down long, weary limbs. Ileana began to tremble and suddenly threw her arms around Xol. She pulled the smaller teen into a tight embrace and wondered if there was a way for her to never let go. She leaned down, mouth close to a pointed ear.

"Please, do not leave me again," Ileana begged in a very low voice.

"I won't," Xol promised.

"Please—" Ileana paused as she realized what her friend just said. She gazed downward at the pale warrior, eyes pleading that she heard correctly. She cupped Xol's face, silently begging to hear those words again.

"I won't leave if you're going to have me," Xol promised.

"What about your tribe?" Ileana inquired, glancing toward them and noticing the mixed expressions and body language of the whole crew.

The daijinn were all watching Xol. Some of them appeared ready to burst into tears themselves while others were smirking as if they were happy. Some shoulders were slumped in defeat while others had their shoulders squared. Some seemed ready to run out of the palace at that moment while others seemed as if they were cemented to the floor. Ileana was not sure what to make of them as a whole.

"I just got banished," Xol answered as if it did not really matter. She even shrugged.

"Banished? How can they banish you? I thought you were the leader! Why would they banish you? You are doing such a superb job," Ileana argued and she was about to step forward to defend her friend.

Xol could not help smiling; same old Ileana, always trying to stick up for her. She grabbed the Princess by the hand to prevent her from marching over to the group. Ileana glanced back at her friend, who shook her head, telling Ileana not to bark at the daijinn.

"Trust me, they're doing me a favor," Xol informed her overprotective companion.

"How so? They are firing you," Ileana pointed out.

"We aren't firing her. We're freeing her," Mei stated.

"She says that you banished her. Why? What did she do? What right do you have to kick her out of this group? She is your leader!" Ileana stated heatedly, ready to step into Mei's face, but a simple squeeze of her hand got her to stay where she was.

"She was our leader. She broke the rules and she can't stay with us," Mei replied.

"What rule?" Ileana demanded to know, snarl tugging at her top lip.

Mei glanced at Xol, who shrugged. Mei sighed, wondering why the hell the now ex-leader just did not speak up sometimes. She turned her attention back to the Princess.

"One main daijinn rule that has existed for as long as we've known, daijinn aren't supposed to mate with humans. Xol is mated to you, heart, mind, soul, and body," Mei explained.

"Mated?" Ileana echoed. Her eyes went wide. "Do you mean…?" she was unable to finish the sentence.

Mei shook her head and chuckled. "No, there is more to it than that. I believe you humans refer to it as being in love, but for daijinn, it's much deeper than that. I believe the closest humans have to it, you call 'soul mates.' Xol is yours now, forever and always, but not how you used to think I'm sure."

Ileana was not sure if she wanted to grin or frown from that statement. Instead of showing any emotions toward Mei or the other daijinn, she turned to Xol. She noticed the shorter teen looking bashfully at the floor again. Ileana hugged Xol to her body.

"Is it true, iris? You love me?" Ileana asked in a whisper, speaking to a pointed ear.

Xol nodded. "I do. You are my mate and I want to stay with you," she admitted, her tail swaying happily behind her as she finally spoke her feelings aloud.

Ileana was not sure what to say in response and only clutched Xol tighter to her warm body. The Princess was not sure if she wanted to smile or cry from the joy that she felt as she held Xol to her, feeling complete for the first time in a long time. Xol returned the embrace and enjoyed the hug. She was almost overwhelmed by the sense of peace and joy that flowed through her body like the blood in her veins.

"Guys, thanks for giving me a purpose for the past four years and I want you to take care of yourselves. I don't expect you to keep any of the things I tried to start, but I do hope you do what's best for each other," Xol said to her former pack.

" _The boss never was good at making speeches_ ," Kwen commented, speaking to Yu, who was appearing strangely deep in thought for the moment.

The daijinn were all quiet for a moment before Fry stepped out of the crowd. She walked over to Xol and stood before the short warrior. Xol eyed her mentor, not sure what to expect.

"I stay. Keep eye on you," Fry declared.

"What? I don't need a babysitter," Xol objected.

"You do, 'specially when with her," Fry commented, nodding toward the Princess.

"What about your freedom?" Xol asked. She put a hand on the cook's shoulder and gazed up at her with pleading golden eyes. "This could be it. Go with them, see their home, and build a life for yourself," Xol begged.

"You my life, idiot. Somebody need watch you," Fry argued.

"I was thinking about that. I'd like to stay too," Mei commented, which made Xol look at her wide-eyed and as if she had three heads.

"You want to stay with me?" Xol asked in disbelief.

"I know it might be hard to believe, but I like being around you, chief. You're different and you have a good heart. So, I just want to stick around for a while and hope that you don't get too sick of me," Mei remarked with a smile.

Xol's face twisted with confusion, lost by Mei's words. Suddenly, Yu stepped up, looking guilty. He crossed his arms over his slender chest and stared down at Xol.

"I sort of want to stay too," Yu confessed. He doubted that he would be able to live with himself if he just left Xol, who had been so good to their pack for the past four years, even though she did not want the position of alpha. She did her best despite all the odds and she did a fantastic job, far better than any other leader he thought they would have. He just felt so close to her now after working with her for those four years that it seemed like he would be abandoning her if he went back to their home.

Xol did not know what to make of their behavior. She had been under the impression that most daijinn tolerated her rather than liked her. She never would have thought anyone would want to stay with her when the time came for her to leave. And then the biggest shock yet, Kwen stepped up.

" _Somebody's going to have to keep you lot out of trouble_ ," Kwen muttered, rolling his eyes. Xol's jaw practically hit the floor.

"Don't look so shocked. Kwen thinks you're the best thing since the stars in the sky," Mei commented.

The statement earned Kwen an evil glare from Ileana. Mei noticed and laughed while Kwen just glared back. Mei figured that she might need to clear the air because it was not the proper time to start trouble.

"The big idiot looks at you like a little sister," Mei explained, speaking to Xol.

Xol's eyebrows seemed to jump, as if she did not believe such information. She supposed it had to be something, though, if he was willing to endure humans in order to stay by her side. Truth be told, underneath it all, Xol had a soft spot for Kwen, which was why she picked up on some of his speech patterns. His treatment of her over the years had not really changed, but the meaning behind his behavior had. She had noticed some time ago that he was more playful with her than anything else, but his gruff-tough-guy image had to be protected, so he was a rough sort of playful. He often checked on her when he thought she was not paying attention and oddly enough, a few times, he had actually carried her to bed and tucked her in.

A few others looked like they wanted to step forward, but were unsure. The last person to take a solid step toward Xol was Ro. The pair looked at each other. Xol ran her hand through her hair while Ileana possessively pressed the shorter teen to her.

"I'm sorry," Xol apologized to the tall warrior.

"Don't be, little goddess. I never imagined that…" Ro trailed off. She never fathomed that Xol's emotions for the human Princess ran so deeply. She never thought that Xol could consider anyone a mate. But, now she understood why Xol could never make a claim toward her. Of course, the understanding did not make the pain go away, but she could forgive Xol now.

"No, I have to apologize for what I did to you…" Xol glanced away, feeling shame well into her guts.

"Don't worry about it, little goddess. I understand now," Ro replied and then she turned her eyes to Ileana. She gave the Princess a hard glare. "Make sure you take care of the little goddess. She's pretty special and dear to a lot of people."

Ileana nodded and Ro turned back to the group of daijinn. No one else stepped up to volunteer to stay and they quickly departed the palace, having no desire to stay around humans. Some where happy to leave Xol behind and had thoughts of filling the leadership void when they got back to their home. Xol did not think about that and just watched her former tribe exit the area. When they left, Xol knew who her former pack took with them, not bothering to ask. Viktor was only vaguely aware that palace even had daijinn slaves in it and was hardly fazed when he was informed that much of the unseen staff was gone.

Besides, he was more curious about his sister's reluctance to let Xol go than anything else. He watched them leave the throne room together to go get cleaned up. Later on when he saw them for the dinner, he noticed that his sister still had not released her friend from her embrace. Something was up with those two, he could figure that much. He just did not ask and no one else said.

"New friends, I would be delighted if you all picked rooms in my wing of the palace if you want," Ileana proposed, speaking to the daijinn foursome that stayed behind with Xol, as they finished the evening meal. The announcement seemed to get Miss Olga's attention; after all, that was also her wing of the palace.

"I liked the room I had," Yu said.

"Please, if you enjoyed your room, take that one. I will make sure that all of the servants understand that you are not just guests of the Crown, but also allies of the Crown. You will all get the best treatment and the highest honors," Viktor stated.

The daijinn all nodded, but they would have to see it to believe it. They were not worried about anything really. They could fight off any humans that did try something. Even if someone dared to put reins on them, Xol could easily destroy those and then they could easily destroy the humans. And even if they could not, they were fairly certain no force alive could defeat Xol, so as long as she was with them, they had nothing to fear.

After the meal, the daijinn all walked off to the empty wing. Viktor suggested having servants attend to them, but none of them were ready for that just yet. First, they wanted to get comfortable in their new surroundings. The new occupants of the hall stood around for a moment, eyes on their ex-leader. The young daijinn all smiled at Xol while Fry more glared; it was an expression shared with Miss Olga.

"Make the most of it, boss," Mei said with a cheeky grin before walking off with Yu and Kwen. She paused for a moment just to grab Fry and gently pull the elder away.

Ileana and Xol were left with Miss Olga, alone. Xol gulped and fiddled with her wrists, as if she was expecting Miss Olga to use reins that she was not even wearing. Her nerves were close to jumping just from memory of the woman that seemed to so intent on destroying her.

Ileana stared Miss Olga right in the face while making sure to keep her arms around Xol. Miss Olga's stance got a bit more defensive as Ileana silently staked her position. Xol's heart calmed down as she felt herself being pressed against the Princess despite Miss Olga's hard stare.

"You already know I do not approve," Miss Olga stated.

"I know," Ileana replied calmly. "But, you have nothing to support your disapproval on except for the fact that we are two females." Through out the years, she knew that Miss Olga's attitude toward her best friend had changed because Miss Olga slowly understood the light that Xol brought into her life. Of course, that did not stop her from thinking that Xol was a menace and a bad influence on Ileana, even though she was aware most trouble-making ideas came from the Princess.

"This is true. But, considering the things I have taught you and supported you with these past four years, even that is not the best reason. I will say I am a bit more disturbed by the fact that she is not human than she is female, but that is negated by the fact that I know what she is to you. I think you should just consider what might happen when your father gets better," Miss Olga said.

"I will worry about that when it happens, but I will not let him talk me out of this. I will not let him stand in my way Being with my iris is what makes me happy. He stole my happiness once. He will not get another chance," Ileana declared soundly. Miss Olga did not dispute that and they all went their separate ways.

-8-8-8-8-

Xol wiped her damp bangs off of her sweat-drenched forehead while staring down at Ileana, who was making herself quite comfortable against the smaller body underneath her on the bed. Once Ileana was settled in, her head resting against Xol's collar bone and her hand tracing the design on Xol's pale body, a cream-colored hand found it's way to the small of the Princess's back, gently caressing her.

"I am so happy that you are back," Ileana whispered.

"I'm happy to be back. Living so far from my mate, denying my feeling…it was Hell," Xol admitted. Pretending that being so far from Ileana did not bother her was actually the only thing that she could do to avoid going completely mad or killing herself. But, even that had stressed her out.

"You said that means you love me, right?"

"I do." _And so much more_ , she mentally added.

"I do not doubt it. I love you too. I was just wondering how long have you known you loved me?" Ileana asked curiously. Looking back on their strange childhoods, she could pick up hints on both of their parts that they had been too young to notice, but even she did not realize her feelings until being with Xol again.

"That day I helped you get away from my tribe. I knew I loved you, I knew I was yours because I would die for you. I would make any sacrifice for your safety and happiness. My feelings for you… Sometimes, the distance, the absence, not knowing what happened to you, I felt such pain that I wish I would die. It would've been so much easier, so much more merciful. A lot of the time, I wished someone would just cut me open and eat my insides, so I would never have to feel anything ever again. Life…it just didn't mean a damn thing without you," Xol explained, giving her lover a tight squeeze around the shoulders.

"I felt those things too. It just did not occur to me that I loved you, but now, I know all too well that I love you. I love you so much," Ileana declared and she began placing tender kisses to Xol's neck.

Xol moaned deeply, but kept her wits about her because she had questions of her own. "Why is Miss Olga okay with this? I know before she would've sooner killed me and sprinkled my ashes in your food than let us have this…"

Ileana paused her treatment. "Miss Olga has changed a bit since you left. She has always wanted what is best for me, but now she is willing to concede that my happiness might be what is best for me and not what tradition dictates. Surprisingly enough, she is not as traditional as she pretends to be. She is the one that taught me to swordfight, after I tried to learn how to defend myself from all sorts of people."

"Why did you want to defend yourself? Do you have enemies in the palace?" Xol asked, body tensing as if she was about to leap out of bed, completely naked, and go vanquish her love's enemies.

"I wanted to know, so that I could stand with you the next time we met. I would not have to run and we would not be separated. Did your pack really banish you for loving me?" the Princess asked.

"Old daijinn law. I suppose it goes back to when humans and daijinn first started fighting for whatever reason. But, they say you can't help who you bond with and I'm bonded to you mind, body, and soul," the shorter teen declared.

"And I to you, my dearest, sweetest iris." Ileana pushed herself up in order to kiss Xol's soft lip.

Their lips moved slowly, but passionately against each other, promising each other that they were made just for each other. The leisurely embrace seemed to exchange their energy, their essences, their souls, and they were united as one. They sighed as if all was right in the universe as they parted and Ileana made herself comfortable against Xol's collarbone again.

"Stay with me always," Ileana requested as her breath evened out, showing that she was falling asleep.

"Always. You are my sun and my moon, after all. My world is dark, bleak, and cold without you," Xol replied in a low voice.

They both drifted into the best sleep of their lives. They knew that there were more than likely obstacles and challenges ahead for them to remain together, but for right now, the moment was perfect. It was more than they had had in a long time, so they would accept it, as they accepted each other and each other's love.

The end.

-8-8-8-8-

Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed this story. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for a sequel. Until then, take care and I'm going back to my padded cell. Hasta...

Here's [Xol and Illeana](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree/art/Xol-and-Ileana-423080739) by [Saintbree](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree). Please leave any and all comments on the artist's [Deviantart page](https://www.deviantart.com/saintbree).

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna see more of my fanfics, they're all at FFN under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fanfiction.net/~starvinglunatic). If you wanna see some original stories, you can look at FP under [StarvingLunatic](https://www.fictionpress.com/u/576301/).
> 
> Come say hi to me on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SL-Kassidy-482097488469386/). You can get news about this and other stories. I’m also on Tumblr: [Slunatic](https://slunatic.tumblr.com/)


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